Balfour Beatty has been fined after a worker was killed while repairing a central reservation barrier on the A2 road in Kent.

The firm pleaded guilty to offences under Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

It was fined £1 million with over £14,900 in costs.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how Larry Newman, 37, was part of a team sent out by Balfour Beatty to install temporary traffic management and repair the barrier after it was damaged in a road traffic collision.


The crew was attempting to remove the footings of a post that had been snapped off using a lorry mounted crane when the vehicle slipped from the concrete footing and swung back towards the barrier, striking Mr Newman in the head.

He suffered severe head injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

HSE inspector Andrew Cousins, said: "This was an entirely preventable incident that could have been averted by simply creating and implementing a safe system of work. If a suitably sized excavator had been used to remove the footing mechanically it would have prevented this tragic loss of life completely.

"Employers have a responsibility to create safe systems of work for hazardous activities that their workers may be undertaking. The workers should be trained in safe systems of working and adequately supervised. Safety needs to be proactively managed and not just left to chance."

(LM/MH)