{"id":513150,"date":"2025-01-27T07:00:40","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T07:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/?p=513150"},"modified":"2025-01-24T16:06:12","modified_gmt":"2025-01-24T16:06:12","slug":"worktop-company-fined-after-stone-slabs-fall-on-employees","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.constructionnews.co.uk\/health-and-safety\/worktop-company-fined-after-stone-slabs-fall-on-employees-27-01-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Worktop company fined after stone slabs fall on employees"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A stone worktop company has been ordered to pay more than \u00a310,000 after two employees were injured by falling stone slabs.<\/p>\n<p>Three quartz slabs fell from a stillage onto Steven Constable and Struan Dunsmore while they worked at Bespoke Stone\u2019s workshop on Dales Road, Ipswich.<\/p>\n<p>The two men had been preparing to lift one of the slabs onto a saw bed when all three fell.<\/p>\n<p>The incident was captured on the company\u2019s CCTV:<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_VtAhg1WgkQ?si=tE6HSbJ_4W2qrYcR\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>According to a statement from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Constable sustained fractures to his right femur, hip, left tibia and foot as well as soft tissue damage. He spent 12 weeks in hospital.<\/p>\n<p>The 54-year-old needed multiple operations and has been unable to work for more than two years due to the injuries.<\/p>\n<p>Dunsmore, 31, received bruising to his body and required time off work following the incident, which took place in June 2022.<\/p>\n<p>The HSE said its investigators found Bespoke Stone\u2019s handling and storage of slabs did not keep the material secure and its restraint system did not fit around larger slabs.<\/p>\n<p>The manufacturing company also failed to accurately report the injuries sustained by Constable and the time taken off work by Dunsmore under RIDDOR regulations, the HSE added.<\/p>\n<p>Bespoke Stone Ltd, of Dales Road, Ipswich, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.<\/p>\n<p>It was fined \u00a36,600 and ordered to pay \u00a34,875.40 in costs at Peterborough Magistrates\u2019 Court last Friday (17 January).<\/p>\n<p>After the hearing, HSE inspector Jessica Flint said: \u201cBespoke Stone failed to grasp the importance of safe handling and storage of stone materials in stone masonry, with employees regularly working within the hazard zone of slabs during operations within its workshop.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe CCTV footage makes clear how serious this incident was, with one of the employees sustaining a number of horrific injuries which have affected his ability to return to work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She added: \u201cCompanies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>HSE guidance states slabs should always be restrained during loading and unloading operations, whether from vehicles or from storage when any person could be within the \u201chazard zone\u201d into which a slab might fall. Its full guidance can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hse.gov.uk\/stonemasonry\/handling-storage-slabs.htm\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A stone worktop company has been ordered to pay more than \u00a310,000 after two employees were injured by falling stone slabs. Three quartz slabs fell from a stillage onto Steven Constable and Struan Dunsmore while they worked at Bespoke Stone\u2019s workshop on Dales Road, Ipswich. The two men had been preparing to lift one of &#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43915,"featured_media":513156,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[581,578],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v18.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A stone worktop company has been ordered to pay more than \u00a310,000 after two employees were injured by falling stone slabs. 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