Two demolition contractors have been fined a total of £66,000 after a worker was killed in an explosion on a north London site in March 2017.

An HSE picture of the accident scene

Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 16 March 2017, 54-year-old Stephen Hampton, working at a site on Swains Lane in Camden was killed when an old fuel storage tank he was cutting up exploded and the end of the vessel struck him causing fatal injuries.

An HSE investigation found both contractors failed in their duties to effectively plan, manage and monitor control measures to address the risks associated with the demolition of a site that contained fuel tanks.

Materials Movement Ltd of Henlow, Bedfordshire pleaded guilty to breaching CDM Regulations and was fined £33,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,675.38.

P J Labour Services Ltd of  Colindale also pleaded guilty and was fined £33,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,648.18.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Ian Shearring said: “Mr Hampton had recently adopted two young boys and this incident leaves them, along with his wife, alone and struggling financially all for the sake of a bit more effort on both defendant’s parts.

“Both Materials Movement Ltd and P J Labour Services Ltd have today been held to account for killing Mr Hampton after failing to take adequate action to protect the health and safety of persons working on their site.

“Neither company adequately assessed and controlled the risks of this highly dangerous work. It was left to the workers to devise their own methods of working, which was compounded by no site management.�