Man Left Brain Damaged After Fall

Two decorating companies have been fined after a worker was left brain damaged after falling from a ladder while painting student flats.

Self-employed Trevor Dawson, from Ravensthorpe, West Yorkshire, was working at Ashenhurst Student Village in Newsome, Huddersfield, when the incident happened on August 15, 2007.

Huddersfield Magistrates' Court heard that the 58-year-old was working up a ladder when he fell, although no witnesses could confirm this and Mr Dawson cannot recall any details of the the incident because of his head injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Liversedge Decorating Contractors Ltd, two of its directors, and a second company Foster Turn-Key Contracts Ltd over the incident.

The HSE investigation found both main contractor Foster Turn-Key Contracts Ltd and Liversedge Decorating Contractors Ltd had allowed work to be carried out that was not sufficiently planned or supervised and had used inadequate equipment.

Liversedge Decorating Contractors Ltd of Mountain Road, Thornhill, Dewsbury, admitted breaching regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and was fined £2,000. Paul Daniel of Smithy Carr Lane, Brighouse, and Clive Dewhirst of Mountain Road, Thornhill, Dewsbury, both directors of the firm, also pleaded guilty to the same charge. They both received £1,000 fines.

Foster Turn-Key Contractors of Plover Road, Lindley, Huddersfield, admitted breaching Regulation 22 (1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. It was fined £2,000.

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David Urpeth, a solicitor from law firm Irwin Mitchell said: “I welcome the fines imposed following this very serious work accident.

“Workers must be given adequate work equipment and have work that is properly planned and supervised, if they are to be protected from suffering injury in an accident at work.

“This case demonstrated the tragic and devastating consequences that can follow a work accident.

“Helping injured workers pursue their compensation claim, I see all too often, the misery caused by a work accident."

Find out more about possible compensation claims as a result of a fall from height.