The Importance And Essential Need To Ensure Traffic Routes on Construction Sites are Risk Assessed

Merchant Homes Partnership Limited (now in liquidation)  was the principal contractor at a housing development in Glasgow.  On the 11 May 2022, a telehandler while reversing the vehicle when it slid down an embankment and overturned.  Tragically, an employee aged 44 years old was fatally killed in the incident from crush injuries.

On the 12th November 2024, at Glasgow Sheriff Court pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 27(2) of the CDM Regulations 2015 and was subject to a fine of £160,000.

The HSE and Police Scotland found that the Defendant had not risk assessed the traffic route where the incident took place.  Photographs released by the HSE show the nature of the steep embankment and absence of control measures to minimise or reduce the risk of a vehicle sliding down the embankment.

 Forbes Comments:

As is often the case in tragic accidents this was an avoidable and preventable accident.  Reg.27 of CDM 2015 states that traffic routes on construction sites must be suitable people or vehicles using them, sufficient in number, in suitable positions and of sufficient size.   Tragically, the telehandler’s wheel went over the edge of the traffic route while being reversed that led to the slide down the embankment and the vehicle overturning.

The organisation of traffic routes on construction sites are of key importance including ensuring segregation of pedestrian and vehicular routes.   The HSE highlight that inadequate planning and control being the root cause of many construction vehicle accidents.   Guidance provides that the need for vehicles to reverse should be avoided where possible owing to the incidents of tragic consequences as a result.

The Traffic Management Plan and Construction Phase plan are two key documents that principal contractors have the opportunity prior to the commencement of works to properly plan, risk assess and ensure that risks are identified and appropriate control measures in place.