A company has been fined after a worker was struck and injured by a bus during pipe laying work in Northamptonshire.

Rebeck Communications Limited, of Eagle House, Billing Road, Northampton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 26(2) of the Construction, Design and Management Regulations 2007.

It was fined £12,000 with £1,293 in costs.

Northampton Magistrates' Court heard how the company was employed to lay piping across the full width of a road at Station Road in Long Bucky on 14 May 2014.

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The court was told it is usual practice to have a 0.5 metre safety zone as a restricted area when undertaking this kind of work.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the road was 4.8m wide and was classified as 'narrow lanes'.

Rebeck Communications used a temporary traffic management system and closed one lane of traffic, allowing motorists to pass on the other 'live' traffic lane. This system is self-managed by drivers using the road.

However, during the reinstatement of the road surface at its central point, a worker was struck by a bus. His injuries included a dislocated knee with severe ligament and muscle damage.

The court was told the 0.5m safety zone was not being maintained and no other control measures were in place.

It is understood the worker had to move into the live traffic lane in order to position some equipment as the bus was passing.

(LM)