Nature’s Power Ltd Prosecuted In Relation To Safety Breaches

By Rob Dixon

A company from Hertfordshire has been fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs after an accident at work in which a trainee was seriously injured following an eight-metre fall from height.

Nature’s Power Ltd of Rickmandsworth was prosecuted in relation to the incident in December 2012, in which a 22-year-old worker broke two vertebrae, his left ankle and wrist, as well as suffering a fractured pelvis and torn ligaments.

Westminster Magistrates’ were told the firm had been fitting a flue liner down a chimney as part of a project to install a wood burning stove and as part of the work the trainee was trying to slide together an extendable roof ladder while balanced on an access ladder.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the access ladder did not extend to a point where he could step off safely and when the roof ladder began to slip in his hands it pulled him off the other one.

Stephen Nye, a Partner and specialist in workplace injury at Irwin Mitchell’s Birmingham office, specialises in representing people who have suffered serious injuries as a result of work accidents including falls from height.

He said: “It is hugely worrying that despite falls from height being well known as one of the most common causes of workplace injury, so many incidents of that nature continue to happen every year.

“This case also demonstrates the long-term impact that such accidents have on victims, with this worker suffering serious injuries which will have required access to rehabilitation and recovery support. The work we do ensures that people are able to gain funds which allow them to get such services.

“We would urge employers to always ensure they are taking the right steps to keep workers safe from any potential harm, ensuring that they are given the right equipment to carry out tasks in the safest possible manner.

“Incidents like this need to be held up as examples of the terrible consequences that work accidents can have on people and it is vital that lessons are learned from them.”

Our accident at work solicitors could help you claim compensation if you’ve fallen from height at work. Visit our falls from height claims page for more information.