Contractor fined after worker killed by collapsing wall 

A Bath-based contractor has been fined after one of its workers was crushed to death by a collapsing wall. 

Gary Anstey was working for H Mealing & Sons on a construction site at a school in the city when an incomplete and unsupported 1.8-metre retaining wall fell on him on 19 March 2019, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said. 

An investigation by the inspectorate found that H Mealing and Sons “failed to properly plan and supervise” the wall construction, which led to it “becoming unstable when a large load of aggregate was placed against [it]”. 

In a victim’s personal statement, Anstey’s wife said: “Gary was 57 years old when he died. He was always full of life and he had recently become a grandad for the first time.”

She added: “Gary’s workplace should have been a safe place to work – he should have come home as he always did – and now he hasn’t been here to celebrate all the family milestones, and that is something that we as a family have to live with.”

H Mealing & Sons Ltd, of Northend, Batheaston, Bath, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The company was fined £56,775 and ordered to pay £44,000 in costs at Taunton Magistrates’ Court last Thursday (11 September), according to the safety watchdog.

HSE inspector Ian Whittles said: “This was a horrific incident, which had heartbreaking consequences.

“It happened because of a lack of planning and coordination, which is all too common in construction activity. With simple, clear procedures and appropriate training, this incident would not have happened.”

HSE guidance stipulates that any temporary structure must be designed and installed to withstand any loads placed against it, and that it is used in accordance with its design.

This includes ensuring appropriately trained operatives are provided with a suitable written design and installation plan to ensure the structure remains stable.