Expert Calls On Firms To Learn Lessons

A Brighton construction firm has been fined £25,000 and ordered to pay costs after a worker suffered serious injuries in a fall from height.

David Homewood, 53, was left with a fractured spine and pelvis, as well as bruised lungs, following the six-metre fall at a construction site in Brighton.

The incident occurred in November 2009 when he was walking backwards upstairs while carrying a kitchen unit. As he reached the second floor he stepped over a roll pack of insulation and fell down an unguarded lift shaft.

Principle contractor Brighton Construction was fined over failing to manage the construction site properly, as a Health and Safety Executive inspection had highlight months earlier that openings need to include guardrails.

Stephen Nye, a workplace injury specialist and Partner at Irwin Mitchell, said the case demonstrated the dangers of falls from height.

He said: “The victim in this case has still not been able to return to work following the incident, which highlights just how devastating workplace injuries can be.

“It is very similar to so many cases in which we have represented people who have suffered life-changing injuries as a result of the negligence of employers and other organisations.

“Site managers need to ensure they put full and proper safety measures in place on sites to ensure that those working at height are not put at unnecessary or potentially devastating risks.

“Lessons must be learned from this case if positive steps are to be taken in improving workplace health and safety across the UK.”