Public liability insurance holders have been warned about taking heed of safety warnings, after the prosecution of an Oldham developer.
Mahmood Khokhar, 29, pleaded guilty to two offences under Section 22(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 after failing to comply with improvement notices. He was fined £2,000 with costs of £1,725.
Trafford Magistrates Court heard how Mr Khokhar was given two notices by a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector which required an excavation to be made safe to stop it collapsing and fencing to be erected around it.
"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," added Laura Moran, a construction inspector for the HSE.
Last week, Alexson Homes, based in Wolverhampton, was fined £6,600 for putting workers at serious risk during a roof demolition.