FIRM IN A HOLE LOT OF BOTHER
Worker spotted in middle of road with just two plastic cones for protection
A TELECOMS company have been fined £35,000 after a spine-chilling video emerged of a workman standing in a manhole in the middle of moving traffic on a busy city street.
A stunned watchdog said the man, who had nothing more than two plastic traffic cones to protect him, could have been killed.
London-based City Fibre were installing broadband cable in Edinburgh when the shocking film appeared on the Scotland’s Worst Drivers website.
The dashcam video showed a Nissan Micra having to swerve to avoid hitting the workman in the manhole.
He wasn’t even wearing a hard hat. And apart from the two cones, there appeared to be no other sign to warn drivers work was going on in the street.
The video was filmed on February 27 in the Craiglockhart area of the capital. It is understood the man was laying cable for one of City Fibre’s contractors.
A spokesman for Scotland’s Worst Drivers said at the time: “This workman is extremely lucky to be alive.
“Why did he think two cones would be enough protection?
“No one would expect to see a man sticking his head out of the road like this.”
The video led to an investigation by Scottish Road Works Commissioner Angus Carmichael, who is responsible for keeping workers and drivers safe.
He said City Fibre’s performance over the past year had been monitored and “clear failures” had been uncovered.
Carmichael was particularly shocked by the Craiglockhart video. He said: “A particular incident in Edinburgh on February 27, which could have resulted in a fatality, further demonstrated CityFibre’s lack of compliance with roadworks legislation.”
He said City Fibre had carried out their own investigation of the incident, and it confirmed they had “systematically failed in their duty” to obey the law.
Carmichael said City Fibre had failed to co-operate with Edinburgh City Council and had set up roadworks without registering them properly.
He added: “In view of their clear performance failures, I am left with no option than to apply a financial penalty.
“As the failures are of a very serious nature, compromising both safety and quality, I have decided to impose a significant penalty of £35,000.”
Carmichael said he wanted to send a “clear message” to all organisations involved in roadworks.
He said City Fibre had given him a plan to improve their performance.
The company announced after the video appeared that they had suspended their cable work in Edinburgh while an investigation was carried out.
This could have led to a fatality. I want to send a clear message WATCHDOG