Cornish construction company MJL Contractors Ltd has been fined £200,000 after a worker had to have both legs amputated around the knee after being crushed by a dumper truck.

Roger Daw, 58, was operating a fully loaded front tipping dumper on a site in Liskey Hill, Perranporth. He drove the dumper down an incline where it became imbalanced and overturned. Mr Daw was thrown from the vehicle, which landed on his legs. He was airlifted to hospital where both his legs were amputated at about the knee.

Truro Crown Court heard whehn MJL Contractors appeared before this month (October) that there were a number of failings that led to the incident. The specific type of truck being used by Mr Daw was not appropriate for the task but nobody on site had assessed the plant equipment’s limitations. A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation also found the company that Mr Daw was working for, MJL Contractors Ltd, had not carried out an assessment for any of their drivers nor ascertained their competence in using the plant equipment.

MJL Contractors Ltd, Hellys Court, Water Ma Trout Industrial Estate, Helston, Cornwall, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. As well as being fined £200,000 the company was ordered to pay costs of £12,312.56.

HSE inspector Jo-Anne Michael, said afterwards: "Roger Daw’s life has been changed forever. If MJL Contractors Ltd had planned the work properly, assessed the equipment and the drivers this incident would not have happened.

"Companies must learn that risk assessments are there to protect their workers from the real risk that mobile plant can become unstable."