£2,000 hit over dangerous pit

AN OLDHAM developer has been fined £2,000 after putting the lives of local residents at risk by ignoring two formal safety warnings.

Mahmood Khokhar (29), of Fern Street, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for failing to make an excavation safe in a residential area.

A 6ft deep pit had been dug for the foundations of a house extension in Denmark Street in Chadderton.

Mr Khokhar was served with two improvement notices requiring the excavation to be made safe to stop it collapsing and fencing to be put up to prevent people from falling in.

But Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard that he failed to comply with the notices, which had been issued by an HSE inspector following a site visit to the site on June 1, last year.

HSE construction inspector Laura Moran said: “Mr Khokhar ignored the warnings and advice we gave him about the safety of the site. There was a well-used path and an alley along the side and back of the property so there were plenty of passers-by.

“On one visit, I spotted a child’s ball in the bottom of the pit.

“I dread to think what could have happened if they’d tried to fetch it, as the sides of the trench were starting to collapse.

“We always try to give small companies and self-employed builders advice on health and safety before going down the route of prosecution. But Mr Khokhar failed to meet the 21-day deadline for making improvements to the site.

“When I revisited after the deadline had passed, the trench was unstable and there was no fencing.

“I gave him another six days to make improvements but he did nothing.

“We therefore had no choice but to prosecute.

Mr Khokhar pleaded guilty to two offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He was also ordered to pay costs of £1,725.