08:05 am, Saturday 29 August, 2009

A Plumbing Employer and an Excavator have been fined a combined $65,000 over a work accident which left a young footballer brain-injured.

The man was working in a trench as a plumber at a property in 2006 when sand collapsed around him and a brick pillar hit him on the head.

The court found the man’s employer and an excavator had failed to provide a safe workplace.

They were fined $32,000 and $34,000 respectively.

The injured man spent a week in a coma and had brain surgery twice.

He had moved to South Australia to play football but could no longer play any contact sport or work as a plumber.

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