The Old Bailey today handed down a fine of ₤150,000 plus costs of ₤25,203 in a case of workplace-related death against PC Harrington Contractors Ltd of Grays Inn Road, London. The case, prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), was regarding the accidental death of Patrick O’Sullivan at the company’s construction site at Wembley Stadium on 15 January 2004.

Patrick O’Sullivan and another worker were working on the stadium superstructure when a platform was dislodged and fell on them during a lifting operation. The accident caused the death of O’Sullivan and left the other worker seriously injured. The court has found PC Harrington Contractors guilty of violating Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and accordingly imposed the fine of ₤150,000.

Warning companies to ensure the proper implementation of safety guidelines at building sites, HSE Inspector Giles Meredith said that any one of the thousand crane movements at the Wembley site could prove to be dangerous. He expressed his deepest sympathies to the family of the deceased worker and hoped companies would henceforth be more stringent in implementing safety procedures at their worksites. IOSH courses are designed to give managers and supervisors all they need to know to help handle health and safety in their teams; click on IOSH Training for more information.