SD Launchbury has been fined £12,000 after a worker was run over by an excavator.

27-year-old Thomas Plumb from Evesham was hit by the reversing vehicle on a site in Gretton on 10 May last year.

His right leg was shattered and he was in a coma for 10 days following the incident.

He has since undergone extensive surgery, including bone and skin grafts and now has metal rods and screws in his leg, knee and ankle.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which prosecuted his employer, SD Launchbury Ltd, of Evesham, at Cheltenham Magistrates’ Court.


HSE discovered SD Launchbury Ltd had not carried out a proper assessment of the risks on site and so had failed to ensure a safe system of work was in place, including the use of a trained banksman. There was also no segregation or barriers between dangerous moving plant and pedestrians.

The court heard how the excavator did not have adequate rear view mirrors or other visual aids, and its warning beacon was not working. In addition, the operator’s direct field of vision was obscured by the counterbalance on the vehicle.

The investigation also found workers had not been provided with information or instructions about working around excavators or given high-vis personal protective equipment. SD Launchbury Ltd also failed to ensure that work on the site was properly supervised.

The firm was also ordered to pay £913 in costs.

(CD/IT)