Employers Urged To Not Ignore Risks

A construction firm and contractor have been fined after a worker suffered serious leg injuries in fall from height on a farm in Teesside.

Waddington Buildings Limited and contractor Stephen Ramsey pleaded guilty to safety failings in relation to the incident at Brierton North Farm, Billingham on August 2010, which occurred as the worker was standing on a pallet fitted to a tractor in order to measure and fit guttering to a new building.

However, the worker lost balance and fell after the tractor, operated by Mr Ramsey, unexpectedly moved. He spent 15 days in hospital and continues to receive treatment for the heel and ankle injuries he suffered.

An investigation revealed that both Mr Ramsey and Waddington Buildings Ltd failed to ensure the work was carried out safely.

Stephen Nye, a workplace injury specialist at Irwin Mitchell, said: “Falls from height are the most common cause of injury in the construction trade and, from our work with victims, many employers in the industry continue to ignore the clear dangers when it comes to this kind of work.

“So many victims of falls sustain serious injuries which they often never fully recover from, having an impact on them and their families for the rest of their lives.

“Construction firms need to wise up to the potential risks when it comes to work at height if further problems like this are to be prevented in the future.”