Eurotunnel fined £2.25m over ‘entirely preventable’ worker injury

More than eight years after a worker was seriously injured at Eurotunnel’s UK terminal in Folkestone, the Channel Tunnel operator has been fined £2.25 million in a health and safety ruling over the 2018 incident.

According to the UK’s Office of Rail and Road (ORR), Channel Tunnel Group Limited (CGTL), which runs Eurotunnel and is part of Getlink, had responsibility for maintaining the lighting masts and associated equipment, as well as the premises. The regulator found that the company failed to ensure the equipment was safe and without risk to health, breaching its duty under Section 4 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

HM Chief Inspector of Railways Richard Hines stated that the incident had highlighted multiple failings, essentially “a catalogue of what were entirely preventable maintenance and planning errors” which led to “a truly horrific incident”. He added that there were instances where lighting carriages were being “winched up and down by staff who had not been appropriately trained,” highlighting the absence of “a suitable safe system of work”, “effective preventative maintenance”, and “an appropriate risk assessment for that specific task.”

The ORR said the surveyor suffered multiple serious injuries, noting that the outcome could have been worse had the falling structure not been partially cushioned by objects on the ground. The case, Hines added, served as “another reminder to industry that regular maintenance of equipment and thorough and appropriate risk assessments in carrying out works is crucial to help prevent a repeat of such an event.”

Eurotunnel cites corrective action

In a press statement shared with BBC News, CGTL said that the individual, who it stressed had been employed by a third-party contractor, was carrying out a detailed examination of lighting equipment at the time of the incident. It went on to state following the accident, it had taken “immediate, voluntary and decisive action”  to address the issues identified, adding that it had “cooperated fully with the ORR investigation and pleaded guilty at the first available opportunity”.

CTGL was also keen to point out that the District Judge had noted its “excellent health and safety record and the complexity of safety issues on site”, stressing that the court stated there were “no serious or systemic risks”.

The company behind Eurotunnel added that it “sincerely regrets that anyone could be injured whilst at work” and apologised to the individual involved. It added that the surveyor had been fully compensated jointly with his employer, British Engineering Services. CGTL has since apparently reviewed its health and safety practices and invested in strengthening procedures and safety culture, stating it is determined that a similar incident will not happen again.