Gas pipe blows up in demolition workers face

Grant Prior 13 years ago
Share

A demolition contractor has been fined after an employee suffered serious burns when a gas pipe exploded in his face.

The worker, 37, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, was carrying out demolition work at a warehouse in Burton-on-Trent when he cut into a metal gas pipe that ignited in his face.

He received serious burns to his face and forearms.

He was taken to the local Queens Hospital and later transferred to the burns unit at Birmingham Queen Elizabeth Hospital where he was treated over two days.

Birstall Demolition and Plant Services Ltd of Birstall, West Yorkshire were prosecuted after an investigation revealed that the incident could have been prevented if his employers had undertaken basic checks to ensure the pipe was safe.

Burton-on-Trent Magistrates’ Court heard he was using an angle grinder to remove hardware from a mezzanine area when he cut into a metal gas pipe, unaware it was still live. It then ignited sending flames into his face and forearms.

After the hearing HSE Inspector Alastair Choudhury said: “Demolition activities need to be planned, supervised and monitored rigorously.

“However, Birstall Demolition and Plant Services Ltd failed to perform the simplest of checks to protect their employee by not making sure that the pipes were safe.

“This employee suffered serious burns, which would have been worse if he had not been wearing goggles and safety gloves.

“For a lengthy amount of time after the incident, he was not able to return to work. However he is now working again, for a different employer, still bearing the scars from his ordeal.

“This incident could easily have resulted in even more serious injuries; in fact he could have died.”

Birstall Demolition and Plant Services Ltd of Birstall, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,256.

Latest news

Comment: Gateway is acting like a barricade

Contractors left banging their heads on an (unbuilt) brick wall
21 hours ago

Final phase of £1.5bn Elephant and Castle revamp hits planning

Get Living submits revised plan for 500 homes and 450-bed student block
2 days ago

Ealing backs final phase of £1.3bn estate rebuild

Friary Park estate rebuild in Acton reaches end stage
20 hours ago

Green light for scaled-down Nottingham student tower

Glasshouse Street scheme will deliver 247 student rooms
21 hours ago

Aston Villa to revamp North Stand

Club to reuse existing structure rather than complete rebuild
2 days ago

Mace signs ex-ISG director to lead Euro health and tech push

Gary Sweeney to head up healthcare and life sciences consultancy arm
20 hours ago

Sir Robert McAlpine claws way back into profit

Firm says return to profit and strong cash balance validates new strategy
2 days ago

Severfield to cut staff by 6% amid pricing pressure

Steelwork contractor warns of extended tighter pricing due to project delays
2 days ago

JRL completes sale of 50% stake to Malaysian giant IJM

Deal boosts balance sheet and kicks starts growth plan
2 days ago

Green light for £100m Liverpool Baltic station build

Enabling highway works to start in the autumn
3 days ago

First live tests for flying construction robots

Drones can lay construction materials at height on site
2 days ago

Three firms land £170m Gentoo Sunderland housing deal

PHS Solutions, Esh and RE:GEN to deliver 10-year home upgrade plan
3 days ago

Gateway gridlock hits build-to-rent delivery as starts nosedive

Build to rent starts plunge 18% in the capital
3 days ago

Call to shift Gateway 2 checks to end building bottleneck

"The current system isn't working but we all want to see safe buildings"
3 days ago

GBN launches £600m bid race for SMR engineer roles

Owner engineers to provide technical and assurance services
3 days ago

Wates hires ex-Homes England chief to head public sector push

Robert Stone to spearhead its public sector and national frameworks strategy
3 days ago

Acheson Construction collapse costs suppliers £8.5m

One frustrated creditor seized a telehandler after contractor went into administration
4 days ago

Dominus wins go-ahead for 173-bed Glasgow scheme

Old Wynd Street job expected to cost around £25m to build
4 days ago

Safety Regulator misses deadline to clear Gateway 2 backlog

Investors pulling out of funding high rise buildings
4 days ago

CITB still sitting on £95m cash pile

Staff numbers jump from 666 to 763 as training body wage bill soars
4 days ago

£500m road surfacing framework market call

NEPO goes out to consultation on north east regional highways deal
4 days ago

Two share £220m Scottish rail repairs and minor works deal

AmcoGiffen and CPMS win civils and building repair deals
4 days ago

Builder wanted for £60m London leisure and flats job

Tower Hamlets aims to replace St George’s Leisure Centre in Shadwell
4 days ago

Contractor confirmed for business park expansion

Roe Developments to start on next phase of Castle Donington scheme
4 days ago

Driver escapes injury as scaffold collapses onto van

Major three-lift scaffold fall blocks north London high street
1 week ago

Gilbert Ash to be sold to staff

£267m turnover contractor to transition to an Employee Ownership Trust
1 week ago

M Group seals biggest-ever deal with Telent takeover

Digital infrastructure specialist deal lifts turnover to £3bn
1 week ago

Aggregates firm Ashville went down owing more than £3m

Debts revealed in Companies House update
1 week ago

Cardo saves 100 jobs at Breyer roofing arm

Private equity-backed Welsh maintenance group continues to expand
1 week ago

Excavator knocked off lorry going under bridge

Traffic Commissioner inquiry after accident in south London
1 week ago

Contractor services