Civil engineers handed £200,000 penalty after woman hit by flying wire

RM Contractors
RM Contractors

A civil engineering company and a contractor have been sentenced after a woman was hit in the neck and leg by flying pieces of fencing wire.

Redditch Magistrates’ Court heard the lady needed surgery to remove the piece of metal from her neck after the incident in May 2015. She had been in her garden when she was sprayed with pieces of fencing wire.

RM Contractors, based in Redditch, was fined £180,000 and ordered to pay costs of £22,000 and contractor Matt Lea was sentenced to 120 hours community order and ordered to pay costs of £3,600.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Chris Gregory said: “Members of the public have a right to expect to be able to enjoy their garden without any risk of being hit by flying debris from neighbouring work activity.”

An HSE investigation found there to be a failure to properly plan the work to ensure the suitable controls had been identified and implemented.

RM Contractors pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Lea pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

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