Worker fell 7 metres after scaffolding had been removed
- Details
- Published on Thursday, 16 February 2012 00:00
England
A 28-year old construction worker fell from the roof of a building being refurbished in Belgravia, London, after scaffolding which had protected employees and subcontractors from falling had been removed weeks earlier.The accident victim had been on the roof clearing up debris left over from construction work. He was using a ladder to access the lower part of the roof, but as he descended, the ladder fell away from the building and he lost his footing. He fell 7 metres, fracturing his leg, heel and wrist, as a result of which he is now registered disabled.His employer, R & G Construction Ltd of Harrow, admitted breaching r.4(1)(a), r.5 and r.6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £30,000 plus costs of £7,515.An HSE official commented: "This was an appalling and entirely preventable incident which has severely affected a young man's life. Companies have a duty to take steps to reduce risks and prevent falls using equipment such as guardrails and working platforms, or even nets and airbags if needs be. If the company had properly planned and organised the work and sufficiently assessed the risks of working at height, along with the use of appropriate work equipment, the likelihood of this happening would have been much reduced."
