A fall from a ladders results in a worker suffering serious injuries
Poor planning and risk assessment lead to a workers fall from a height of around 7.5m leading to serious injuries - 3rd October 2008
A worker suffered serious
injuries at work after falling 7.5m from a
ladder resulting in him suffering a broken neck in
two places, broken legs in two places and damaging
his skull.
The workers
accident at work happened on the 21st September
2007, when two shipping containers were being lifted
and the top one slipped. The top container needed
securing so the worker climbed up ladders which were
standing on another container. The ladders slipped
resulting in the workers
fall from height and subsequent injuries.
The Health and
Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the workers
company Lakeside Container Services Ltd of Essex, at
Chelmsford Magistrates Court where they pleaded
guilty to breaching regulation 6(1)(b)(ii) of the
Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
1998, which states: "Every employer shall ensure
that lifting equipment is positioned or installed in
such a way as to reduce as low as reasonably
practicable the risk from a load falling freely",
and also breaching section 2 of the Health and
Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which states: "It
shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so
far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety
and welfare at work of all his employees." They were
fined £13,400 and ordered to pay £3,380 in costs.
The practice of moving more than one container at a
time was deemed unsafe by the HSE and they also
found that there had not been sufficient planning or
risk assessment for securing the top container once
it had begun to slip.
The
workplace injuries suffered in this
accident
at work resulted in the employee being absent
from work for around six months, and having to
change his role on his return. It has affected not
only his working activities but also stopped him
enjoying his hobbies.
