HS2 tunnel JV fined £400k after driver injured by falling tipper
Summary
A joint venture working on HS2 has been fined after a tipper truck driver was injured when his vehicle fell from an excavation ramp at a west London site. The HSE found failures in route planning, communication and edge protection, and the JV admitted breaching health and safety law.
Why it matters
The case highlights the importance of robust temporary works control, site traffic management and excavation edge protection on active construction sites. Residential property surveyors may encounter similar risk issues when assessing development sites, advising on construction safety, or reviewing defects and compliance concerns.
Key points
- Tipper truck fell two metres from an excavation ramp at a Copthall North site near Uxbridge
- HSE found no signs on haulage routes and no edge protection at the ramp edge
- Excavations beside vehicle routes had unsupported vertical faces at risk of collapse
- SCS Railways pleaded guilty under section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974
- The JV was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs
Organisations:
Health and Safety Executive, SCS Railways, Skanska Construction UK, Costain, Strabag AG, ACE Grab Hire and Haulage Ltd, Align JV, HS2 Ltd
Regulations:
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, section 3(1)
Locations:
Copthall North, Uxbridge, west London, Leavesden, Watford, Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court
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