A council has been fined £2m after the death of a worker during a road resurfacing job.
Stephen Bell, 57, was barrowing tarmac from the back of a Newport City Council tipper lorry when he was struck by a farm vehicle passing the roadworks.
Stephen Bell
According to a statement from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Bell and four colleagues had been carrying out resurfacing repairs on the section of Langstone Court Road that runs beneath the M4 motorway, on 18 July 2019.
Investigators found that the council failed to take enough steps to ensure there was a sufficient safety zone between the roadworks area and the live part of the carriageway or secure the perimeter of the roadworks site against road workers entering the running lane.
At Cardiff Crown Court, Newport City Council pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £2m and ordered to pay costs of £9,780.
After the hearing, Bell’s wife Jenny said: “I do not have the words to express the pain my family and I felt when we heard the news and losing him so suddenly has taken its toll on us all and has left us all heart broken.
“Stephen was a kind, caring and hardworking man who loved his family very much. He had a smile that lit up a room, an amazing sense of humour and laughter that was contagious.
“In the years since he’s been gone my family and I have missed so much. I have been unable to share my grandchildren’s birthdays with him. Christmas days without him and family holidays with a very special person missing.
“Recently, our youngest daughter got married, and didn’t have her father to walk her down the aisle.”
HSE inspector Philip Nicolle said the council’s failures had a devastating impact on Bell’s family.
He added: “This tragic incident could so easily have been avoided if the council had simply carried out correct control measures and safe working practices.
“We will not hesitate to take action against those that fall below the required standards.
“Our thoughts remain with Mrs Bell and those who knew and loved Stephen.”
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