Shoulder Injury After Ladder Fall
19/08/2010
A Spalding onion packing company has been fined after an employee fell from a ladder and broke his shoulder.
Moulton Bulb Company worker Richard Webster was covering onion boxes with plastic sheeting on September 10 last year when he plunged around 3m at the firm's Glebe Farm site at Roman Bank, Spalding.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) probe revealed that Mr Webster - of Whaplode, near Spalding - fell from a ladder as he was wrapping a 5.5m pile of boxes in polythene.
He was off work for a month after breaking his shoulder.
Moulton Bulb Company of Long Lane, Moulton, near Spalding, admitted breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £6,000 and told to pay costs of £2,188.
Prosecuting, HSE inspector Jo Anderson said: "Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths and it's crucial employers make sure work is properly planned, appropriately supervised and sufficient measures are put in place to protect staff from these risks.
"As a result of this the company has changed its procedures to eliminate the need to work at height by applying polythene sheeting at floor level and then lifting the boxes up.
"I'm satisfied the company has learned from this incident and would encourage employers in a similar line of business to consider doing the same, if they don't already."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
David Urpeth at law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “I welcome the fine imposed following this work accident. Falls from height remain a major category of both serious and fatal injuries following an accident at work. All too often, I have to help workers pursue their compensation claim following injuries sustained in a work accident in circumstances that could and should have been avoided.”
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