December 2012 Accidents at Work

Leicestershire firm prosecuted after worker's five-metre fall

A firm has been fined after an employee fell five metres and was then struck by a wooden board and concrete blocks after a partially-built floor gave way.

The worker was helping to construct the second floor of a new build when it gave way after being overloaded with concrete blocks. The joists collapsed onto first floor joists that also gave way.

The lower joists helped to break his fall, but he still fell to the ground with the materials, some of which landed on top of him. He was unable to return to work for six weeks.

The company was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007.

Lancashire builder risked lives on scaffolding

A Lancashire builder has appeared in court after he ignored a formal warning to stop working at the top of a dangerous scaffolding tower.

Two workers were spotted carrying out work to the roof of a two-storey building by a passing inspector from the Health and Safety Executive on 26 January last year.

The inspector could see there were no handrails or toe boards around the platform at the top of the tower. He immediately issued a Prohibition Notice ordering the men to come down from the unsafe scaffolding. Just three hours later the inspector returned and found both men back at the top of the tower but still with no safety precautions in place.

The charges related to failing to take suitable measures to prevent workers being injured in a fall, failing to prevent injuries being caused by falling building materials, and failing to comply with a Prohibition Notice.

The company was fined £2,000 with no costs.

Source www.hse.gov.uk

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