Full Breakdown
Construction Firm Fined After Worker Drowns in Exposed Excavation
6/6/2026, 10:29:16 PM
Fatal Accident at Bovingdon Construction Site
On 22 Oct 2021, 35-year-old construction worker Mykhalio Hustei fell into an exposed, rain-filled excavation on High Street in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire, and drowned. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Alchemist DB Limited, which was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 29 May 2024. The company later entered liquidation.
Legal Context of Construction Safety
The breach concerned the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, which the HSE said were violated by the site’s lack of lighting, handrails and other basic safety measures.
Key Figures and Organizations
The victim was Mykhalio Hustei, a 35-year-old construction worker at the Bovingdon site. The employer, Alchemist DB Limited, was a Borehamwood-based firm building flats. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is the UK regulator, and HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed led the investigation.
Timeline of Events
Data and Penalties
The court ordered a £20,000 fine and £5,000 costs. The excavation was exposed, rain-filled, with slippery boards, no lighting or handrails. The victim was 35-year-old Mykhalio Hustei.
Official Statements & Responses
The HSE said the site lacked basic safety measures such as lighting and handrails and that the company failed to protect workers from foreseeable risks. The HSE also noted that the site was open to the weather, allowing rainwater to collect in the excavation. The regulator reaffirmed its duty to enforce the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and to act against firms that neglect safety.
Criticism of Company Practices
HSE inspector Rauf Ahmed said the post-incident measures were insufficient and described the site as extremely hazardous, highlighting serious shortcomings in risk assessment and control.
Broader Implications
The case highlights the HSE’s enforcement role and the necessity of complying with the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It warns that inadequate excavation safety can result in legal, financial and human costs for builders.
Verbatim Quotes
- "Our thoughts remain with the family of Mr Hustei, a young man who was just setting out on his career in construction." — Rauf Ahmed, HSE inspector
- "The measures put in place by the company after his tragic death are a crude reminder about what could and should have been done in the first place." — Rauf Ahmed, HSE inspector
- "We will always take action against those who fail to protect people from risk." — Rauf Ahmed, HSE inspector
- "literally a death trap" — Health and Safety Executive (HSE)
