Rotherham fined over accident that left worker with two fractured arms.
A demolition company has been sentenced after pleading guilty to health and safety failings following a worker’s fall from height.
The incident happened at the Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow on the 30 December 2011, when the 50-year-old worker was carrying out work from a mobile scaffolding platform to enable the building to be demolished.
It appears that a cable tray swung towards the worker as he was cutting it from the ceiling, hitting him in the shin and knocking him off balance. He fell five feet off the platform causing severe injuries. He fractured his right elbow and fractured his left arm, which required surgery, and also suffered bruising to his head. He has been unable to return to work because of the extent of his injuries.
HSE’s investigation found that his fall happened because the platform was not put together correctly and was missing guard rails and toeboards. Also no suitable risk assessment was available on site for the use of the mobile scaffolding platform and it had not been inspected before use.
HSE Inspector Graham Mitchell said: “The injured person was at risk of falling because the tower was not put together properly. Work at Height Regulations require those in control of work at height to take sufficient measures to prevent injuries and this fall could have been easily prevented.”
DSR Demolition Limited was fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
The company has since responded. In a prepared statement, DSR Demolition says:
“…Four years ago an agency worker on our site in Glasgow fell from a scaffold tower. The knee rail and toe board were missing (but the top guard rail was in place), so we know that despite the scaffolding being incomplete it was not this that caused the accident. It appears that a piece of pipework that the operative was removing knocked him off balance. Immediately after the accident we stayed in touch with the operative to check on his progress.
Clearly the case has taken long time to come to court. This was because the Procurator Fiscal deliberated over whether to refer it at all, but eventually decided earlier this year to do so.
The accident acted as a catalyst for us to improve. Since December 2011, we have appointed an in house safety manager who is now an associate member of the IDE and NEBOSH trained. We previously had one director who was a full member of the IDE, and his co-director was then galvanised to do the same. We have trained all our staff up to CCDO card level and implemented regular and thorough work at height training. We have also been accepted into the NFDC which demonstrates how far we have come since the accident. The Sheriff judging the case recognised all of these mitigating factors (and more) which is reflected in the fine that has been imposed.
We deeply regret the injuries suffered by the operative and we are glad he has received compensation for his injuries. We can say with confidence that we are a different company now and that another similar accident will not occur….”
