Hazardous holes hit hard
by Hammersmith and Fulham Press Office
21/10/2008
A utility company that left dangerous power tools unguarded just yards outside a primary school has been fined thousands of pounds.
National Grid Gas plc was ordered by District Judge Susan Williams at West London Magistrates Court on October 1 to pay a fine of £1,000 and costs of £1,036 after pleading guilty to unsafe working in October last year.
When a council inspector visited the works outside St Mary’s Primary School on Masbro Road, Shepherds Bush, he found contractors for National Grid Gas using an electric saw outside the school gates. They were not using an effective dust suppressant, meaning that dangerous dust from the road was being flung up into the path of pedestrians.
The work site did not have adequate guarding surrounding it and unattended tools and equipment were left lying on the road and pavement, causing a hazard to pedestrians.
Thames Water was also prosecuted at the same court, on the same day as National Grid Gas, after it admitted endangering the borough’s residents outside Hammersmith Hospital in November last year.
Excavation work on Du Cane Road in Shepherds Bush put motorists and pedestrians at risk when the company’s own traffic management plan was not followed.
Workers closed off the pavement but provided no safe alternative route for pedestrians, who were forced to walk into the busy road into oncoming traffic. Thames Water also tunnelled under a cycle lane, that was still being used, which could have led to its collapse under the weight of traffic. The company then failed to tell the council when it had completed the works.
Thames Water must now pay two separate fines of £1,000 and £300 and costs of £3,812 after appearing before District Judge Williams on October 8.
Councillor Nicholas Botterill, deputy leader of H&F Council and cabinet member for environment, said: “We will not hesitate to come down heavily on utilities companies who dig up our roads in such a shoddy manner and put our residents at risk.
“Parents will be flabbergasted that a company that is supposed to act responsibility could leave a chainsaw in the middle of the road, unguarded, while children were playing just yards away. We cannot turn a blind eye to such flagrant breaches of safety regulations.”
