Construction site accident news
28/01/2009

Workplace injuries result in fine for contractor

A building site contractor has pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the safety of self-employed builder who suffered serious crush injuries after falling from height while working on the construction of Swansea supermarket. The construction site accident resulted in him spending four months in a wheelchair and a further eight months on crutches.

The contractor pleaded guilty to offences under the Health and Safety at Work Act, while his solicitor said in mitigation of the defendant's role in the incident, "It was a failure of judgement and not an attempt to crack on with work without any consideration of risk."

A fine of £10,000 was imposed on the defendant while magistrates also instructed him to pay £6,257 in costs.

HSE inspector Anne Marie Orrells said that the construction site accident should serve as a warning. "Falls from height are the single most common cause of fatalities in the construction industry," she said, adding, "There were a number of serious failings which led to this incident.The risks of working at height were not properly identified or addressed and no fall protection was provided for workers."

It is not known whether the injured man plans to make a no win, no fee construction site accident claim.