Engineering services firm is fined after worker fell from a height causing serious back injuries
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has reported that a South Yorkshire engineering service company has been fined £1k after a worker crushed his vertebra and fractured two bones in his back when he fell almost four metres.
The HSE prosecuted Ultimate Industries Ltd of 44 Northwood Drive, Sheffield, for allowing work to be carried out on a roof without adequate safety equipment to prevent workers from falling.
Ultimate Industries Ltd was also ordered to pay £2,125.20 costs at Southern Derbyshire Magistrates' Court after pleading guilty to breaching regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Between 20 and 21 August 2008 workers of Ultimate Industries Ltd were roofing a 'lean to' building that they had fabricated in a compound at Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd's car manufacturing site in Burnaston, Derbyshire. A worker was on the roof of the fabricated frame fixing sheets to the ridge when he fell approximately 3.7 metres to the ground, resulting in serious injuries to his back.
The court heard that by not properly planning the work and not providing adequate safety equipment for work at height, Ultimate Industries failed to prevent, so far as was reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.
HSE Inspector Samantha Farrar said: "Working on roofs can be a high risk activity if the right measures are not taken to protect workers and falls can result in life-changing injuries or even death. This case shows the need for companies to ensure that work at height is properly planned and supervised and that appropriate equipment is provided. Falls from height remains the most common cause of workplace deaths. Last year over 4,000 employees suffered major injuries and 35 workers died after falling from height at work."
Kim Smerdon a leading personal injury solicitor from Reading based law firm Boyes Turner said: "Falling from a height at work is unfortunately commonplace and such accidents usually cause very significant injuries. Many of these incidents could easily be prevented by employers complying with the Work at Height Regulations 2005 which place a number of duties on the employer to ensure that employees who have to work at height are safe."
Boyes Turner's top ranked personal injury lawyers are experienced in dealing with all types of accidents at work as a result of falls from a height. If you, or someone you know has suffered as a result of an accident at work please contact us to discuss your claim.
Consistent with our policy when giving comment and advice on a non-specific basis, we cannot assume legal responsibility for the accuracy of any particular statement. In the case of specific problems we recommend that professional advice be sought.
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