A partner in a Nottingham construction firm has been fined after a sub-contractor suffered permanent leg injuries when falling under a telehandler.
John Handley, a partner in J&C Handley, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at a housing construction site at Slalom Run, off Valley Road, Carlton, on 2 July 2009.
Nottingham magistrates were told that when a consignment of breeze blocks were delivered to site they were not packaged in such a way that a telehandler with forks could pick them up.
The breeze blocks needed to be transported from one part of the site to another. Mr Handley used a telehandler with a hydraulic grabber attachment but this meant the blocks were swaying as they were being transported. He then asked sub-contractor David Cotterill to walk alongside the vehicle and steady the load with his hands.
Unfortunately Mr Cotterill, 31, of Gedling, slipped and fell under the front wheel of the telehandler. He broke his right foot, ankle and leg and has been off work ever since.
Due to the nature of his injuries he will not be able to work in construction again and is now retraining for an alternative career. His injuries have also forced him to move from his three-storey house to one with less stairs.
HSE Inspector Lee Greatorex said: "In an ideal world the breeze blocks should have been delivered to their intended destination on the site but this wasn't possible. Therefore Mr Handley should have properly planned the work and made sure the delivery arrived in the right format for the forks of a telehandler.
"When this didn't happen, a rope should have been attached to enable Mr Cotterill to steady the load at a safe distance.
"Had Mr Handley taken the time to think through a safe system of work then a man may not have suffered such serious injuries."
John Handley, of St Eia, Friday Lane, Gedling, Nottingham, admitted breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of persons not in his employment. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,000.
(CD)
Construction News
26/01/2011
Construction Boss Fined After Sub-Contractor Suffers Leg Injuries

16/06/2025
Construction is underway on Siemens Mobility's new £20 million Bogie Assembly and Service Centre in Goole, with Yorkshire-based contractor Caddick Construction leading the build.
The 13,500 sq m facility will form a key part of Siemens Mobility's expanding Goole Rail Village and is set to boost the

16/06/2025
Construction has officially been completed on Molson Coors Brewing Company's new UK headquarters in Burton-on-Trent, delivering a state-of-the-art 10,300m² facility to support the brewer’s expanding operations across the UK and Ireland.
The project, led by main contractor Clegg Food Projects, invol

16/06/2025
Equans has signed a new five-year Strategic Partnership agreement with Cheshire West and Chester Council to deliver facilities management services across the Council’s estate.
The deal follows the conclusion of a previous joint venture between the two parties, known as QWEST, which had been operati

16/06/2025
Winvic Construction Ltd has been appointed by Guildford Borough Council to deliver a major package of highways infrastructure works for the Weyside Urban Village, a landmark regeneration project that will bring 1,550 new and affordable homes to the area alongside green spaces, employment zones, a co

16/06/2025
Real estate developer TT Group has received planning approval from Stoke-on-Trent City Council to convert the former Telecom House office building in Hanley into 99 residential units.
The seven-storey, 103,000 sq ft property on Trinity Street was previously occupied by BT and has remained vacant. T

16/06/2025
Foundation engineering specialist Roger Bullivant Limited (RBL) is making significant progress on the Balderton Rise residential development in Newark, working in partnership with housing provider Lovell.
The current phase of the project includes 102 new homes and highlights RBL’s commitment to su

16/06/2025
NHS Shared Business Services (NHS SBS) has launched the third iteration of its Modular Buildings framework agreement, designed to accelerate the delivery of vital infrastructure projects across the UK in healthcare, education, housing, and other public services.
The new Modular Buildings 3 framewor

16/06/2025
Network Rail has successfully completed a major £84 million upgrade to overhead line equipment (OLE) on the Midland Main Line between London St Pancras and Bedford — delivering the project on time and under budget.
The OLE125 Compatibility project, which ran from September 2023 to June 2025, replac

16/06/2025
Kier has completed the delivery of a major new life sciences facility at the Advanced Research Clusters (ARC) West London Refinery Building in Hammersmith, providing 150,000 sq ft of high-specification laboratory, research and development space.
Situated on the northern embankment of the River Tham

16/06/2025
Esh Group has been recognised as one of the UK's Best Managed Companies 2025, earning a place among just ten private businesses selected nationally for the prestigious accolade.
The award, presented through Deloitte Private's Best Managed Companies programme, honours outstanding organisational perf