Company fined £3m after death of demolition worker in Great Yarmouth
The Health and Safety Executive released CCTV pictures which show the moment a large pipe fell during the dismantling of a North Sea gas rig.
A recycling company has been fined £3m after a demolition worker died while he was dismantling a decommissioned gas rig.
Stephen Picken, 62, and a colleague, Mark Kumar, were working from a cherry picker in Great Yarmouth's outer harbour in October 2019 when a large piece of metal fell and catapulted the men to the ground, 12 metres below.
Mr Kumar survived but suffered serious life-changing injuries. Mr Picken died at the scene.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found failings by their employers, Veolia Environmental Services (UK), to properly plan and risk assess the work.
A judge fined the company £3m and ordered it to pay costs of £60,000.
The men were removing an overhanging piece of metal pipework known as a skirt pile, weighing more than 27 tonnes, from a supporting structure for and oil and gas rig platforms, when it gave way.
The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) identified serious failings with the planning and the risk assessment which did not adequately cover the planned works.
Shortcomings in supervision of the incident were also identified.
The company did not risk assess the skirt pile being removed as it was considered low risk, said the HSE.
As a result there was no cutting plan or safe system of work for the skirt pile.
Veolia ES (UK) Limited of Pentonville Road, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
At a sentencing hearing at Ipswich Crown Court on Monday the company was fined £3m and ordered to pay £60,000 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector David King said: “This incident, in an emerging industry, highlights the level of controls required to safely demolish what are large, dangerous structures.
"Veolia did not meet these standards and tragically one life was lost, and another forever changed.
“The Health and Safety Executive’s mission is to protect people and places.
"Organisations that endanger their employees by failing to meet the required standards, should be aware that we will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action.”
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