Man Injured In Fall From Height
A demolition contractor has been ordered to pay £14,000 after an employee fell off the first floor of a building he was working on, suffering serious injuries.
On October 30 last year, the man was working at Barnfields Industrial Estate in Staffordshire, using a power saw, when he fell through the side of the building.
The wall of the building had been removed, and although a steel girder was placed around the sides, it was not positioned correctly.
G Baskerville Ltd pleaded guilty at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates' Court to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £6,000 in costs.
Health and Safety Executive inspector Guy Dale said: "Although there was a horizontal steel girder around the sides of the building, there were still substantial gaps and there was a significant risk that other workers could also have fallen four metres to the ground below.
"The injured party sustained serious injuries from the fall. He had to be sedated for three weeks and spent a further three weeks in hospital. At one stage his injuries were believed to be life threatening.
"It is vital that if workers have to work at height that there are adequate barriers erected to prevent them from falling."
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David Urpeth from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “I welcome the fine imposed following this terrible accident at work.
“Falls from height remain a major source of serious and fatal injuries following a work accident. As such it is important that steps are taken to ensure workers have a safe place of work."