Construction firm fined £800,000 after man crushes brother to death

A construction firm has been fined £800,000 after a man accidentally crushed his brother to death with a dumper truck.

Robert Paul Griffiths’ foot became stuck between the truck’s brake and accelerator as he tried to move a brokendown scissor lift on a service road at Heathrow Airport while working for Laing O’rourke on 2 October 2014.

The truck reversed and crushed Mr Griffiths’ brother Philip, 38, who was standing between the two vehicles. He was pronounced dead at the scene. 0 Philip Griffiths died at the scene in October 2014

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found neither worker was authorised with the appropriate certificate to use the dumper truck and the operation was not properly overseen or managed.

The construction firm, of Crossways in Dartford, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. It was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 in costs.

HSE inspector Jack Wilby said: “This incident was a tragedy for all concerned and, as revealed by our investigation, entirely avoidable.

“Laing O’rourke did nothing to address the trend of these workers carrying out tasks they weren’t trained or authorised for.

“These dedicated staff, including Philip and his brother, needed appropriate supervision.”