Scaffolder seriously injured when falling down hole on Royal Navy warship, court hears

Arran Seymour was working on board HMS Bulwark at Devonport Royal Dockyard in Plymouth, Devon, when the incident occurred on April 11, 2023.

Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard Mr Seymour was dismantling scaffolding inside a ballast tank as part of maintenance work on the warship.

A lightening hole, which enables water to flow in and out of the ballast tank voids when the ship is at sea, had been left uncovered below where Mr Seymour was working.

He climbed down a ladder but as he stepped back, he fell 15ft through the exposed hole onto the lower tank floor – sustaining numerous injuries.

These included multiple fractures to his pelvis, a splintered wrist, a dislocated elbow and broken bones in his arm, hand and fingers.

Mr Seymour spent two months in hospital and two weeks in a rehabilitation centre before returning home.

On Wednesday, Devonport Royal Dockyard Limited (DRDL) and Kaefer Limited admitted health and safety breaches in relation to the incident, following a prosecution by the Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR).

District Judge Jo Matson said: “This incident arose very tragically following an accident in which Arran Seymour was seriously injured which had a significant impact on his life.

“It is such the case, as in these types of cases, where had measures been put in place in the first place, Mr Seymour would not have been put in the sad situation that he has been.”

She added that both defendants should be “commended for their openness in this case”.

DRDL pleaded guilty to failing to ensure that people not in its employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, as well as failing to ensure that its employees were not exposed to similar risks.

The company was ordered to pay fines and costs totalling £757,589.90.

Kaefer Limited, who Mr Seymour worked for, admitted failing to ensure the health and safety of its employees in relation to the risks arising while working at height.

The judge ruled that the company should pay a total of £154,249.90 in fines and costs.

She gave both companies 28 days to pay the sums.

During the case, the court heard there was a previous incident on the same site in January 2021 when a Kaefer contractor fell in the same hole.

He managed to prevent falling completely through, avoiding serious injury.

Following the hearing, Dan Halsted from the ONR said: “We welcome today’s outcome which recognises that Devonport Royal Dockyard Limited and Kaefer Limited failed in their duty to protect workers.

“This incident was entirely avoidable and was the result of a series of significant failings on the part of both organisations involved in this work.

“Nobody should go to work and not come home in a fit and healthy state.”

The incident was a conventional health and safety matter, with no radiological risk to the public, ONR confirmed.

HMS Bulwark is a surface ship, with no nuclear components, but the incident occurred within the boundary of the nuclear licensed site and was therefore investigated by ONR.