Firm breached health and safety regulations after it failed to ensure subcontractor did not cut through live gas pipe

Construction firm Keltbray has been prosecuted after a breach of safety regulations caused a fire.

The south-west London firm pleaded guilty at Bracknell magistrates court, and was fined 拢18,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. It was also ordered to pay full costs of 拢20,469 and a victim surcharge of 拢15.

The prosecution came about after an incident in August 2006, when Keltbray was principal contractor for the refurbishment of a retail unit in the Queensmere shopping centre in Slough. Keltbray failed to ensure all services had been switched off before the subcontractor cut through a live gas pipe, causing a fire.

Karen Morris, a HSE inspector, said: "Companies need clear, manageable and reliable systems to ensure people are not put at risk in these situations. In this case, the subcontractor was given a document confirming that it was safe to carry out the pipe-cutting work, but reasonable checks had not been made and the pipe was, in fact, live.

"Fortunately nobody was injured, although the incident caused a significant risk to the safety of site workers and members of the public. The outcome could have been much more serious."

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