Network Rail, a prominent name in the UK’s railway industry, has been slapped with a hefty fine of £1.2 million. The penalty comes in the wake of a tragic incident that claimed the life of a dedicated employee and loving family man, Kevin Mauger.
Kevin, a 53-year-old from Eastleigh, was a long-serving employee of Network Rail. He was tragically crushed by a six-ton railway track while performing maintenance work at a rail depot in Hampshire. The incident occurred on 30th November 2020 at the Long Welded Rail Depot off Dutton Lane in Eastleigh.
Kevin was inside a butt-welding machine, a device used to join two sections of rail tracks, cleaning it when the accident happened. Due to an incorrect setting on the machine’s conveyor system, a section of rail track entered the machine while Kevin was still inside, leading to the fatal accident.
Kevin’s wife, Rachael, described him as the core of their family. His untimely death has left a void in their lives that can never be filled. Kevin was a father to five children and a grandfather to eight grandchildren.
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that Network Rail had failed to ensure a safe system of work while carrying out maintenance on its rail production line. The company also did not provide an adequate risk assessment for this type of maintenance.
Network Rail Infrastructure Limited, based in Waterloo, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Along with the £1.2 million fine, the company was ordered to pay £11,410 in costs at West Hampshire Magistrates’ Court. The judgement was delivered in writing on 8th August 2023.
HSE inspector Amanda Huff commented on the incident, stating, “This tragic accident was wholly avoidable, caused by the failure of the company to implement safe systems of work.” She further added that there were no written isolation procedures in place when they were working on this highly dangerous piece of machinery. The risk assessment for carrying out maintenance was inadequate as it failed to identify suitable and sufficient control measures.
She concluded, “This accident could have been avoided if there had been robust isolation procedures in place but tragically this was not the case.”
