BT Group has been fined £6,000 after Inspectors found their contractors had failed to set up essential safety measures for roadworks.
BT pleaded guilty at Rickergate Magistrates’ court in Carlisle, to three offences under the roadworks regulations for failing to have the correct safety measures in place at a work site in High Street, Workington in September and October of last year.
The Court was told that BT had failed to ensure the roadworks were properly guarded and lit, or equipped with signage to help pedestrians. The needs of disabled people in particular were not addressed.
The court was also told that since the offences were committed, BT had put in place additional safeguards, and had increased safety refresher courses for its contractors.
District Judge Gerald Chalk said he had given the firm credit for pleading guilty to the three offences and he noted there had been no adverse effect on members of the public. The judge also noted that BT had immediately investigated the problem when alerted to it and took action to put it right. However, Utility companies had to make sure they carried out work without putting the public at risk and BT had to make sure it chose its contractors carefully.
For the three offences, the judge imposed fines of £2,500, £2,000, and £1,500 respectively. He also ordered the firm to pay the prosecution costs and a victim surcharge of £170.
A BT spokeswoman said: “We pleaded guilty on three counts of failing to properly guard street works sites and we recognise that we failed to meet the required standards and corrective action has been taken in these cases. We have recently deployed a new contractor in this area and are committed to driving improvements in site safety.”
Other recent BT Health and Safety Prosecutions:-
Boston:
In August 2016 BT appeared before Boston Magistrates’ Court and was fined £53,000 for 15 Roadworks Safety Offences.
Westminster:
In June 2016 BT appeared before Westminster Magistrates’ Court and was fined £8,000 for Roadworks Safety Offences in Brixton.
London
In 2016 Transport for London’s (TfL) issue a statement naming BT as London’s worst Roadworks Safety Offender.
Darlington
In May 2016 BT appeared before Teesside Crown Court and was fined £660,000 including Costs after two members fell from height and suffered serious injuries.
London
In June 2016 BT appeared at the Old Baily and was fined £600,000 including Costs after an engineer fell seven metres from a loft in a London block of flats, breaking his back and his ankles.