Sage Homes Ltd director Jason Scorey said he took “reasonable precautions” on Totton work site where pipe fell on six-year-old boy

A BUILDER said he took "all reasonable and sensible precautions" on a worksite before a large metal pipe fell from a wall and onto a six-year-old boy’s head.

Jurors at Southampton Crown Court had previously heard how the incident happened while the youngster passed a house on School Road, Totton in July 2021. He suffered serious injuries which required hospital treatment.

Jason Scorey, director of Sage Homes, has pleaded not guilty to breaking health and safety regulations.

The company has also pleaded not guilty to failing to discharge its general health, safety and welfare duty.

In a statement to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Scorey, of Salisbury Road, Totton, said he had "35 years of an exemplary safety record".

He wrote: "I have also written a new risk assessment for soil pipe removal that goes significantly beyond HSE advice.

"I now suggest fitting extra strapping around every soil pipe before work takes place."

He also wrote that he has "no intention" of working with soil pipes in the future, and he has "always followed all the guidance given by the Federation of Master Builders and the methods I had been taught and used in all my time working".

He continued: "I believe at the time we had taken all reasonable and sensible precautions.

"The presence of fencing would not have reduced the impact of the pipe (and) the pavement was marshalled, so there was no need for it to be closed.

"It's entirely inappropriate to say I, as the company director, did not follow all the safety codes."

Scorey delivered the statement after an interview with health and safety inspector Alexander Ashen.

In a transcript of the interview read to the court, Scorey was warned he was under caution as a representative of Sage Homes but was not under arrest.

Scorey told the inspector he had set up his business in 2019 working with Phil Hennessey who is the "interiors guy".

Scorey admitted he had "no formal site management training" and when asked who "shoulders the burden" of following health and safety regulations, he said it was an "even split" between him and his business partner.

The inspector heard Scorey had written his company's risk assessment statements himself, but was also told by him: "I do admit it's a bit of a rough book. These are the things I have learned and maybe should look into further."

Jurors heard the incident happened when builders were around three weeks into a "sort of a kitchen extension". He also said he was only aware of one fencing panel being removed from the property while work was taking place.

Scorey said he was aware he was working near a school and had scheduled deliveries for times outside of school hours.

He also said he had been taught it was standard practice when removing a soil pipe to remove the lower section first, believing there were two or three brackets holding the upper sections against the wall.

There would be no way of knowing how secure the fittings for the upper sections of pipe inside the wall would be, he said, and he could only conduct a visual assessment of the pipe's exterior while work was taking place.

Scorey said the incident had "rocked him to his core" but he also believed it was "unforeseeable" and he had no reason to think the pipe was a danger.

The trial continues.