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8:58 am, November 13, 2009
Fine for Leigh builders after wall collapse

By Richard Morris

Leigh-based construction firm Hughes Brothers Building & Joinery Ltd has been fined £8,000 after a wall at one of its site in Platt Bridge collapsed on top of an employee.

The man was helping to demolish an office building when a wall fell on him causing fractures to his left leg, collar bone, arm and back. Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), inspectors accused the company of not taking health and safety seriously.

HSE Inspector Tom Merry said the firm failed to carry out a risk assessment which fully identified the dangers its workers could face.

He said: “A Hughes Brothers manager briefly told his employees what he wanted, but failed to stay on the site to check his instructions were followed. More shockingly, only one of the workers had previous experience of demolition work but he did not stay on the site the whole time.

"The others had neither the experience nor qualifications needed to demolish buildings.”

Hughes Brothers pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act at Trafford Magistrates’ Court yesterday (12). It was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,517.

The injured man has not returned to work following the incident in July.

Comments?rmorris@crain.com