Eurotunnel fined £2.25m after serious injury to worker
Getty ImagesEurotunnel has been fined £2.25m after a worker was seriously injured in a health and safety incident.
In April 2018, an engineering surveyor stood underneath a heavy lighting carriage hoisted onto a mast that fell to the ground as the wires holding it failed.
Richard Hines, HM chief inspector of railways, said that the incident was "truly horrific".
Eurotunnel, which also goes under the name of Channel Tunnel Group Limited (CTGL), pleaded guilty to breaching its duty under Section 4 of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
The lighting carriage, used to light up the area to carry out inspections and repairs, weighed 115kg and fell 18m at Eurotunnel's Channel Tunnel terminal in Folkestone.
The Office of Rail and Road said the surveyor suffered multiple serious injuries, but the outcome could have been much worse if the structure's fall had not been broken by objects lying around the site.
"This catalogue of what were entirely preventable maintenance and planning errors led to a truly horrific incident, and my thoughts are with the injured person and their family for the pain and suffering the incident caused, and continues to cause," said Mr Hines.
He said the case served as another reminder to industry that "regular maintenance of equipment and thorough and appropriate risk assessments in carrying out works is crucial to help prevent a repeat of such an event".
'Immediate action'
In a statement, CTGL said that the injured surveyor was employed by a third-party contractor and was carrying out a thorough examination of lighting equipment when the accident happened on 5 April 2018.
CTGL said that it took "immediate, voluntary and decisive action" to address issues identified and to ensure the safety of all personnel on site.
The company said that it cooperated fully with the ORR investigation and pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity.
CTGL said District Judge Leake noted its excellent health and safety record and the complexity of safety issues on site, adding that the court acknowledged there were no serious or systemic risks.
CTGL said that it "sincerely regrets that anyone could be injured whilst at work" and apologised to the individual, adding that he had been fully compensated jointly with his employers, British Engineering Services.
The company said it had reviewed its health and safety practices and invested in strengthening procedures and culture since the incident, adding that it was determined that a similar incident would not happen again.
