Company and contractor fined after gas leak forces evacuation of nearby homes
A company and contractor have been fined following the evacuation of 30 homes in Wessington, Derbyshire after a gas main was struck during fencing work.
On 21 June 2022, Elliott Kirk, contracted by Belper Skip Hire, struck an underground gas main while installing fencing at the company’s farm on Brackenfield Lane.
The incident released over two million kilograms of gas, putting nearby homes at risk of fire and explosion.
An HSE investigation found that Belper Skip Hire had been informed by Cadent, the gas main owner, in May 2022 that no ground-penetrating work should be carried out near the gas main.
Despite receiving this information, the company failed to pass it on to Kirk, allowing the work to proceed.
Kirk also failed to obtain underground service diagrams before starting the work and took no steps to check for underground services.
Belper Skip Hire, based in Derby, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The company was fined £26,667 and ordered to pay £3,173 in costs at Derby Magistrates’ Court on 2 December 2024.
Elliott Henry Kirk, from Nottingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 16(2) under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
He was fined £800 and ordered to pay £3,173 in costs.
Sinead Martin, the investigating inspector at the Health and Safety Executive, said: “In this case, both Elliott Kirk and Belper Skip Hire Limited failed in their duties and, as a result, Mr Kirk and others in the vicinity were put at serious risk. Fortunately, this incident did not result in serious injury; had the gas ignited, the resulting explosion would have been catastrophic.
“Prior to breaking ground, contractors must take suitable steps to check for the presence of underground services. They must then adopt safe digging practices to ensure that no buried services are damaged as a result of their work. Commercial clients have a duty to pass on all relevant pre-construction information within their possession to contractors to enable them to manage the risks.”
