Charles Harper
PFD Report
All Responded
Ref: 2024-0022
All 2 responses received
· Deadline: 12 Mar 2024
Coroner's Concerns (AI summary)
The provided concerns text was incomplete, preventing a meaningful summary of safety issues.
View full coroner's concerns
you are in a position to take preventative action, and therefore
Responses
Action Planned
The Pipeline Industries Guild issued a note to members, will hold a webinar in April to discuss lessons learned and safety measures, and will feature the lessons learned message in their quarterly online publication in September. (AI summary)
The Pipeline Industries Guild issued a note to members, will hold a webinar in April to discuss lessons learned and safety measures, and will feature the lessons learned message in their quarterly online publication in September. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Lynne, In relation to the PFD report, I can confirm that The Pipeline Industries Guild are undertaking the following actions:
• March - following on from conversations with BBV and the sharing of lessons learned the attached note has been issued to all our members.
• April - webinar to take place to discuss the lessons learned, safety measures to be implemented both with the trailers and on site and the impact this has had. For information all our webinars are recorded and promoted throughout the year via our YouTube channel. Webinar-HS2 Bickenhill-Coil Trailer Falality-Lessons Learn!
• September - our quarterly online publication "In the Pipeline" which is issued to members and available via our website and social media platform will feature the lessons learned message & output from the webinar Gu,ld
Internal measures: by ensuring safety moments are part of our standard agendas for all exec and board meetings continuing to raise safety awareness through our technical panels our awards will continue with the H&S commendation (which was awarded to LaySAFE - SAFE Coiled Pipe Installation in 2023) Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to clarify the above or require further information. Kind regards
Executive Director The Pipeline Industries Guild
Incorporated as a company ltm(ted by g1.:wantee and registered in Engiand no~ 25633-51 R'eg!st.z.red office; 15A Bioxham Mill 1 Barford.Road, Bloxham, Banb-ury1 0Xt5 4 FF
• March - following on from conversations with BBV and the sharing of lessons learned the attached note has been issued to all our members.
• April - webinar to take place to discuss the lessons learned, safety measures to be implemented both with the trailers and on site and the impact this has had. For information all our webinars are recorded and promoted throughout the year via our YouTube channel. Webinar-HS2 Bickenhill-Coil Trailer Falality-Lessons Learn!
• September - our quarterly online publication "In the Pipeline" which is issued to members and available via our website and social media platform will feature the lessons learned message & output from the webinar Gu,ld
Internal measures: by ensuring safety moments are part of our standard agendas for all exec and board meetings continuing to raise safety awareness through our technical panels our awards will continue with the H&S commendation (which was awarded to LaySAFE - SAFE Coiled Pipe Installation in 2023) Please do not hesitate to contact me should you wish to clarify the above or require further information. Kind regards
Executive Director The Pipeline Industries Guild
Incorporated as a company ltm(ted by g1.:wantee and registered in Engiand no~ 25633-51 R'eg!st.z.red office; 15A Bioxham Mill 1 Barford.Road, Bloxham, Banb-ury1 0Xt5 4 FF
Action Planned
The British Drilling Association will notify its members of the incident and share safety alerts via their Newsletter and website by April 2024, and will remind members of the need to follow Safe Systems of Work and manufacturer instructions. (AI summary)
The British Drilling Association will notify its members of the incident and share safety alerts via their Newsletter and website by April 2024, and will remind members of the need to follow Safe Systems of Work and manufacturer instructions. (AI summary)
View full response
Dear Coroner, We acknowledge receipt of your Regulation 28 report which was received by the British Drilling Association (BDA), on January 16, 2024. The BDA offers its condolences to all those affected by these events. The purpose and aims of the BDA are to improve health and safety and raise technical and training standards in the ground drilling industry. All work undertaken by BDA in preparing guidance notes, safety alerts and best practise documents is completed by its members on a voluntary basis. The Association is essentially administered through committees which determine the strategic direction and complete and undertake the work of the organisation. For clarity, the BDA currently does not have any members who undertake horizontal directional drilling which uses the equipment and pipework which appears to the subject of particular concern. The Association therefore lacks the expertise and experience needed to comment or provide specific guidance to members on either the events around Mr Harper's tragic death or the Coroner’s concerns as set out in Section 5 of his report. The BDA has however been working with Balfour Beatty Vinci Joint Venture and the Pipeline Industries Guild, to understand what action they have taken following the incident and to offer support to the proposed industry safety standard improvements. Whilst not in a position to provide specific guidance to members on the matters concerning the Coroner, the BDA will notify its members of this incident and share any safety alerts it receives via our Newsletter and on our website, to highlight the findings of the investigations and make them aware of the published information. Furthermore, the BDA will remind its members of the need to follow documented Safe Systems of Work (RAMS) in accordance with the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and CDM Regulations 2015, and obligation to adhere to manufacturer instructions when utilising any work equipment in accordance with the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
British Drilling Association 55 Crown Street Brentwood Essex CM14 4BD
The above actions will be completed and distributed via our Newsletter and website by April
2024. Thank you for writing to the BDA. We trust that our response is considered appropriate and satisfactory, however should you have any further comments, questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. We understand you will forward a copy of our letter to the Chief Coroner who may publish it in a complete, redacted or summary form, and confirm we would appreciate notification of such an intent.
British Drilling Association 55 Crown Street Brentwood Essex CM14 4BD
The above actions will be completed and distributed via our Newsletter and website by April
2024. Thank you for writing to the BDA. We trust that our response is considered appropriate and satisfactory, however should you have any further comments, questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us. We understand you will forward a copy of our letter to the Chief Coroner who may publish it in a complete, redacted or summary form, and confirm we would appreciate notification of such an intent.
Sent To
Response Status
Linked responses
2 of 2
56-Day Deadline
12 Mar 2024
All responses received
About PFD responses
Organisations named in PFD reports must respond within 56 days explaining what actions they are taking.
Source: Courts and Tribunals Judiciary
Report Sections
Investigation and Inquest
On 22 May 2023 I commenced an investigation into the death of Charles Harper. The investigation concluded at the end of the inquest on 11 January 2024.
Circumstances of the Death
Mr Harper was involved in horizontal directional drilling and associated works, forming part of the HS2 high-speed railway construction project on land known as Sublot 5 Site, Land North of Hollywell Brook, Middle Lane, Birmingham. On 27 April 2023 ducting made from rigid 180mm poly-ethylene coiled pipe was being dispensed from a coil trailer through a pre-drilled 100 meter hole. Mr Harper was stood sufficiently close to the trailer, that at the end of dispensing when the stored energy was released, it caused the unsecured tail end of the coiled pipe to spring and strike Mr Harper causing serious abdominal and chest injuries, and he died the following day. The coil trailer was supplied with a restraining clamp and strap. The operating manual for the coil trailer, and method statement and risk assessment for the work, all identified the risk of the tail end of coiled pipe springing as a consequence of stored energy, and that it should be secured to the trailer. No such securing mechanism was utilised on 27 April 2023 and this contributed to Mr Harper’s death.
Copies Sent To
1. Harper Services Limited
4. Balfour Beatty Vinci Joint Venture
5. Steve Vick International Limited
6. Aviva Insurance
7. Health and Safety Executive
8. West Midlands Police. the following
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Data sourced from Courts and Tribunals Judiciary under the Open Government Licence.