Two Shifnal companies have been ordered to pay almost £50,000 after a horrific accident on a building site which cost a father-of-five his leg. Labourer Matthew Watton was trapped for an hour when a tipper lorry toppled over on him, Shrewsbury Crown Court heard this week.
He was eventually freed and airlifted to hospital, but his leg had to be amputated and he has been unable to work since. No-one at the Shifnal housing development had any safety management training and site was dangerous, the court was told.
Builders Anthony Wilson Homes Ltd, of Park Street, Shifnal, and hauliers MJ Curle Ltd, of Naird Lane, Shifnal, were respectively fined £25,000 and £5,000, with costs of £10,000 and £7,500.
Anthony Wilson Homes Ltd had earlier admitted two offences of breaching Health and Safety at Work regulations while Michael Curle, on behalf of MJ Curle, admitted one similar offence.
The accident happened on May 24 2005, while Anthony Wilson Homes was converting the Jerningham Arms in Shifnal to housing, and MJ Curle Ltd was supplying building materials.
Mr James Puzey, prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, said Mr Watton was working there for Anthony Wilson Homes when a tipper lorry was driven on to site by Michael Jones, an employee of MJ Curle. Mr Jones started to unload building materials but the truck tipped over onto its side, trapping Mr Watton underneath by his foot for an hour.
After being airlifted to hospital, he had four operations including amputation of his leg below the knee.
Mr Puzey said Mr Watton had been unable to work since the accident and was suffering depression, headaches and flashbacks. The site was not safe and there were no clear divisions for employees, vehicles and members of the public, he added.
Mr Nigel Fryer, for MJ Curle, said the firm had paid Mr Watton £970,000 in compensation and offered its sincere apologies to him.
He said Anthony Wilson Homes was more responsible for the accident because there was no-one on site with any training in site safety management.
“That does not absolve MJ Curle for their own responsibility but the site itself was dangerous.”
Anthony Wilson Homes was not represented. The court was told it had since gone into liquidation.