Work accident news
04/01/2012

Debilitating workplace fall costs contractors £53k

Three Essex builders have been fined for their part in a workplace accident which caused a co-worker life-threatening injuries and confined him to a wheelchair for life.

The 46-year-old victim was carrying out roofing work at a domestic property in Loughton when he fell five metres from scaffolding to the ground below.

He was airlifted to the Royal London Hospital with a severe head injury and damage to his chest and back, and would spend the next three weeks in an intensive care unit.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) took legal action against three contractors involved in the incident, in January 2010.

These were the project manager, a 46-year-old building services contractor, and the directors of the firms he recruited to carry out roofing and scaffolding work at the site.

The suit followed an HSE work accident investigation which found guardrails were missing from parts of the rear elevation of the scaffolding.

The three contractors failed to ensure the necessary guarding had been installed, Harlow Magistrates' Court heard.

An HSE spokesman described the victim's fall from height injury as ‘life changing'.

"This could have been prevented if the companies and individuals had taken a few simple industry standard safety precautions," he said.

"Falls from height are one of the biggest killers in the workplace. Employers need to be aware of the risks it poses and ensure that their staff are properly protected."

The three directors were ordered to pay individual fines of between £3,000 and £20,000, with an additional £10,000 fine for the roofing company itself.

In total, the workplace accident cost £53,000 in damages and £18,000 in court fees.