Demolition Company Fined $72,000 After Worker Suffers Partial Foot Amputation
Published on 07/07/2026 at 09:10 | Redaktion boerse-global.de
A South Australian demolition contractor has been hit with more than $72,000 in penalties after safety failures led to a worker losing part of his foot when an excavator bucket struck him on site. The case serves as a stark reminder for UK employers of the severe consequences that follow when basic safety controls around heavy machinery are ignored.
Court Finds Company Failed to Implement Basic Safety Measures
On November 15, 2023, a worker at a project in Thebarton suffered the amputation of toes and part of his forefoot after being struck by an excavator bucket. The South Australian Employment Court, sentencing A. Haros Demolition Pty Ltd on July 2, 2026, found the company had failed to enforce a proper exclusion zone, establish a communication system, or assign a dedicated spotter to monitor the movement of heavy machinery near ground-level workers.
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The court initially considered a fine of $120,000 but reduced it to $72,000 in recognition of the company's early guilty plea. The firm was also ordered to pay $1,210 in legal costs and a $451 Victims of Crime Levy.
Separate Penalty for Scaffolding Breaches
The same court issued a parallel ruling against Rockdale Building Solutions Pty Ltd on the same day, fining the company $21,000 — reduced from $35,000 for an early guilty plea — following a November 2023 incident at a Salisbury East construction site.
Four workers had spent several hours on a scaffold that had been prohibited for use due to missing kickboards, excessive gaps, and unsafe access points. The company was also ordered to pay $1,210 in legal costs and a $556 Victims of Crime Levy for failing to display a prohibition notice.
International Courts Tackle Workplace Amputations
Judicial systems elsewhere are also dealing with historical workplace accidents involving severe injuries. In France, the Tribunal Correctionnel de Chalon-sur-Saône heard a case on July 3, 2026, concerning a March 2018 accident at a site in Le Creusot, where a worker suffered a foot amputation after being struck by a metal plate weighing more than 2.4 tonnes. A final decision is scheduled for September 11, 2026.
In Bangladesh, the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court confirmed a final compensation payment on July 6, 2026, for a young worker who lost a limb in a workshop accident in 2020. The owner was ordered to pay 3 million taka and provide a monthly educational stipend of 7,000 taka to the victim, who was 10 years old at the time of the injury.
UK Scrutiny of Public Contracts for Firms with Safety Records
The demolition sector has faced increased scrutiny in the United Kingdom over the awarding of public contracts to companies with prior penalties. Westminster administration officials recently defended a £3 million contract awarded to Keltbray for the Church Street regeneration project.
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The decision was criticised during a committee meeting on June 29 because Keltbray had been fined £16 million by the Competition and Markets Authority in early 2023 for bid-rigging. That fine was later increased to £18 million in December 2024 after an unsuccessful appeal. Local officials cited a limited pool of qualified firms as the reason for the contract award.
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