Falling stone slabs see manufacturer fined

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Two employees of an Ipswich manufacturer have been struck by slabs of stone, resulting in over £10,000 of fines and costs for the company.

Steven Constable and Struan Dunsmore were working for Bespoke Stone Ltd at the firm’s workshop on Dales Road on 17 June 2022. The two men had loaded a stillage with three slabs of quartz and were preparing to lift them onto a saw bed, one by one.

However, as they made to lift the first slab, the shifting weight of all three unrestrained slabs caused them to fall onto Mr Constable and Mr Dunsmore.

Mr Constable (54) suffered multiple bone fractures and soft tissue damage, which have required a number of operations. Fractures to his right femur, hip, left tibia and foot have prevented him from working for over two years, and he has spent a total of 12 weeks in hospital.

Mr Dunsmore (31) sustained bruising to his body and needed time off work following the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the quartz slabs were not secured, and Bespoke Stone Ltd’s handling and storage was unsafe. Restrain systems were provided but did not fit properly around larger materials.

HSE guidance gives clear advice on restraining systems for heavy materials like stone slabs. It advises that slabs should always remain restrained during loading or unloading operations. This applies whether the operation takes places from vehicles or from storage, when any person could be in the hazard zone – i.e. anywhere a slab might fall from its racked position or fall during lifting.

Bespoke Stone Ltd also failed to report to provide an accurate report of the incident, the injuries Mr Constable suffered, and the time off work Mr Dunsmore took.

The Reporting of Incidents, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) puts a legal duty on employers to provide this information in a timely manner following critical incidents such as the one which injured the two workers.

Appearing at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court on 17 January 2025, Bespoke Stone Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £6,600 and ordered to pay £4,875.40 in costs.

HSE inspector Jessica Flint spoke after the hearing:

“Bespoke Stone Ltd failed to grasp the importance of safe handling and storage of stone materials in stone masonry, with employees regularly working within the hazard zone of slabs during operations within its workshop.

“The CCTV footage makes clear how serious this incident was, with one of the employees sustaining a number of horrific injuries which have affected his ability to return to work. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

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