Firm fined after worker crushed by falling concrete blocks

A construction firm has been fined £300,000 after a kitchen fitter was fatally crushed by concrete blocks at a housebuilding site in the Cotswolds.

Martin Dunford, 33, from Pocklington in Yorkshire, was killed on 23 January 2020 while working at Ebrington Rise near Chipping Campden—a 16-home development being built by Piper Homes Construction Limited.

Mr Dunford had approached a lorry loader to speak with the driver when two stacks of concrete blocks toppled onto him, pinning him against the vehicle. He sustained fatal internal and head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that one stack of blocks had been placed unsafely on top of another and was resting on a damaged wooden pallet. Piper Homes, acting as principal contractor, had failed to provide a level surface for offloading or to ensure pallets were in safe condition. The company also failed to keep workers out of delivery zones.

Martin’s sister, Tracey Hunter, speaking on behalf of his family, said: “Martin went to work and never came home. His life was unjustly cut short. Nothing can ever fill the hole left by him no longer being here.”

HSE inspector James Lucas said the incident was “entirely avoidable” and stressed the need for proper planning and management of material storage on site.

“Storage areas should be level and accessories such as wooden pallets should be regularly inspected,” he said. “Had this been done on this site, Martin would have returned home safely to his family.”

Piper Homes Construction Limited, now in liquidation, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court fined the company £300,000 and ordered it to pay £5,236 in costs.