Block Stone, the quarrying arm of one of the UK's largest dimensional stone businesses, Realstone, has been fined for safety and reporting failings after an office at the top of a quarry in Derbyshire ended up in the bottom of the quarry in a landslip.

Block Stone operates eight sandstone quarries in the UK and an Ancaster limestone quarry.

North Derbyshire Magistrates’ Court heard how, in early January 2014, New Pilough Quarry suffered a significant face failure that was not reported to the Health & Safety Executive under Reporting of Industrial Diseases, Dangerous Occurrences Regulations (RIDDOR) 2013.

Before the 2013 Christmas shutdown, surface cracks in the superficial deposit of the southern face of the quarry had been identified. At this point, Block Stone should have involved its geotechnical specialist so that remedial action could have been taken. That could have involved moving the office and machinery to a place of safety.

The court was told that Block Stone's failures were that it did not involve its geotechnical specialist when it changed the design of the quarry nor when the surface cracks were discovered.

HSE Inspector Richard Noble said after the court had heard the case: “Had the quarry been properly managed in accordance with the legislation, this event could have been avoided.

"It is fortunate that the incident occurred during the Christmas shut down. Had it occurred during a normal working day, people may have been in the office area and they could have been killed or seriously injured.”

On 22 July, Block Stone Ltd was fined £14,000 by the court and ordered to pay £16,333 in costs after pleading guilty to offences under Regulation 30: Quarries Regulations 1999 and Regulation 7: Reporting of Industrial Diseases, Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013.

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