Engineering firm fined after worked suffers injuries at HS2 construction site

An engineering firm has been fined after an employee suffered severe injuries, including fractures to his skull, hip, jaw, and pelvis while working at an HS2 construction site in Hertfordshire.

The man, a mechanical engineer for EMC Elite Engineering Services, was repairing a conveyor at the Chalfont Lane site in West Hyde when he fell 11 meters on November 20, 2022.

Stair treads had been removed from the conveyor’s stairway to allow crane support during the repairs, creating a gap in the stairway.

The 57-year-old fell through the gap and landed on the concrete floor below, fracturing his pelvis, skull, hip, jaw and both wrists.

He spent two months in the hospital after the incident and underwent surgery to have six plates inserted into his face.

The worker said: “The injuries I sustained have had a massive impact on my life and some of these will be permanent. The impact on my family relationships has been massive. My wife has become my carer.

“My behaviours have changed. I am quicker to anger and get easily frustrated. I get very impatient too. My focus has been affected and I struggle to keep up with a task or maintain a conversation.”

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that the engineering firm had failed to properly plan, adequately supervise and safely execute the work at height.

EMC Elite Engineering Services, based in Basildon, Essex, admitted to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The company was fined £52,500 and ordered to pay £6,871.12 in costs at St Albans Magistrates’ Court on July 15, 2024.