Company fined for lack of safety measures being put in place

A construction firm failed to put into place adequate health and safety measures for workers working at height - 4th November 2008

 

Abercorn Homes Ltd of Tyne and Wear have been fined after they were seen allowing cladding work to be carried out on the roof of a building in Rainton Bridge without the correct health and safety measures in place, increasing the risk of serious injury, or worse if any of the workers were to slip, trip or fall off the edge of the roof.

A HSE inspector saw that the workers who were working at a height of around 4 metres were working without edge protection along the eaves of the building, putting them at a greater risk of injury in a fall from height, though protection had been installed on the gable ends of the building.

He also observed that a scissor lift had been modified in an unsuitable manner to carry materials to the roof, failing to provide adequate health and safety to workers.

Abercorn Homes Ltd were found guilty at Sunderland’s Magistrates' Court of breaching regulation 4 (1) (c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 which states: “Every employer shall ensure that work at height is carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe”, and of breaching regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 which states: “Where work is carried out at height, every employer shall take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent, so far as is reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.” They were fined £6,000 and were ordered to pay costs of £17,028.

The HSE warned employers that they will face being prosecuted if they fail to meet the health and safety requirements for those who are required to work at height.

Falls from height on construction sites were responsible for 23 deaths according to HSE statistics in the year 2006/07, which just highlights the importance of the correct safety measures.