PIB fined after man walks onto housing site and falls over an unprotected edge

A Brighton firm has been fined £75,000 after a member of the public died after wandering onto one of their sites during the night.

PIB (UK) pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was levied with a fine, with two of the company’s directors being ordered to personally pay part of the sum.

Lewes Crown Court heard how on 29 June 2008, Edward Dean, 24, wandered onto the construction site late a night. PIB (UK) Ltd was refurbishing a house on the site, which was not properly secured. Mr Dean then fell over an unprotected edge into a courtyard. He was found dead in the morning.

Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Denis Bodger said: “Unmanned construction sites should be properly secured such that people and especially children cannot unknowingly wander into places of danger. Edward Dean should never have been able to enter the site where there were unprotected edges.

“It was both illegal and irresponsible for PIB UK Ltd and the company directors to disregard the importance of security on this site - leaving obvious hazards that in this tragic case.”

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