Personal injury news

Construction firm prosecuted over accident on site

A Bristol builder has been fined over a construction site accident which cost one contractor to serious head injuries and caused permanent personality changes.

The 56-year-old was lucky to survive after a 10kg stone fell three metres from scaffolding onto his head in September 2010.

He was taken to hospital by air ambulance and did not return to his job for eight months.

North Somerset Magistrates' Court heard that the contractor had not been wearing a hard hat at the time of the work accident.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) also found the building company failed to ensure guards were in place to stop objects falling from scaffolding.

"This tragic incident could easily have been avoided if the brick guards or similar had been fitted to the scaffold," said an HSE spokesman.

"The use of hard hats was not common on this site," he added. "However the greater failing is not stopping materials from falling in the first place."

"Building companies must learn from this case and make sure basic safety precautions are observed on sites."

The firm was fined a total of £6,000 in respect of the construction site accident, and ordered to pay costs of £4,733.