THE prosecution of an Abergavenny business after a worker suffered serious injuries has led the Health and Safety Executive to warn all employers they must assess risks and provide adequate training.

At Swansea Crown Court on Monday, March 2, Randalls Groundworks Ltd of Park Road, Abergavenny, pleaded guilty to a failure to ensure the safety of employees, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,244.47.

Kevin Trump was a one of a team employed by Randalls Groundworks working on backfilling a raised roadway in Swansea, Mr Trump was using an improvised earth ramp to access the area which was adjacent to an excavation.

The ramp gave way under the weight of the roller, and the vehicle slipped into the excavation. Mr Trump was able to release his seat belt, but he fell head first into the excavation, suffering severe flesh and muscle injuries.

HSE inspector Steve Richardson said, "Mr Trump suffered serious injuries, but the outcome of this incident could have been considerably more serious as the roller came to a halt directly above him on the slope.

"There were no barriers in place to mark the edge of the excavation, and Mr Trump had never received any training on the roller he was operating.

"This incident highlights a number of health and safety issues. It is imperative that training is given on specialist equipment, the edges of excavations should be suitably marked, and there should always be proper access and egress to construction sites, removing the need for improvised arrangements as in this case."