Carillion Construction fined £200,000 for Lincolnshire railway death

On 4 December 2012, Scott Dobson from Doncaster was carrying out maintenance work near Saxilby, Lincolnshire, when he was struck by a passing train.

As part of its statutory duties, ORR investigated and found a number of failings in Carillion’s planning and management of the work. Only one of the two railway lines had been blocked while maintenance was being done, whereas both lines should have been closed, to minimise the possibility of workers being struck by passing trains.

Carillion Construction Ltd pleaded guilty at Lincoln Crown Court today.

Ian Prosser, HM Chief Inspector of Railways said:

This accident was wholly avoidable, had Carillion Construction Ltd followed health and safety rules set out for the railways. Our sympathies are with Mr Dobson’s family.

The safety of workers and passengers is a top priority for the regulator, which is why ORR inspectors are out on the railway daily, monitoring to ensure safety isn’t compromised.

Notes to editors

1. The Office of Rail and Road is the independent economic and safety rail regulator for the United Kingdom, and the independent strategic roads monitor for England.
2. Follow the ORR on Twitter @railregulation and @HighwaysMonitor.
3. In July 2015, ORR published its most recent health and safety data relating to railway safety. The full report can be found here: https://orr.gov.uk/what-and-how-we-regulate/health-and-safety/monitoring-and-reporting/health-and-safety-annual-report-2015.