A firm from Wrexham, responsible for making modular timber buildings has been fined £6,500 after one of its employees suffered multiple injuries due to a fall from height at a Shropshire school they were working on.
RG Stones (Buildings) Ltd was contracted to work on Lakelands School in Oswestry, Shropshire when the workplace accident took place on 8 August 2011. They were to replace a canopy between two temporary buildings at the site.
The fall from height took place when William Phillips, 52, fell three metres to the floor below one of the canopies he was standing on with two of his colleagues. He had fallen through the timber joists.
The personal injuries Mr Phillips suffered were quite severe; fracturing his back, as well as his breastbone, six ribs and his right wrist. In the year since the accident at work took place, he has been unable to return to work.
Fall from Height due to No Protection for Employees
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an accident at work investigation following the fall from height and concluded that RG Stones (Buildings) Ltd had not provided enough safety equipment to prevent an accident from taking place.
Shrewsbury Magistrates’ Court heard how there had been no edge protection installed to prevent a fall from height and that only two soft landing bags had been placed on the floor, but neither near the area where Mr Phillips suffered personal injury.
The HSE inspector, Guy Dale, said after the hearing:
“This incident was entirely preventable. The company had obviously appreciated the risks of a fall, as shown by the provision of the landing bags, but it’s a shame they didn’t think to put them under the area it was most needed.”
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Fall from height injuries are on the whole entirely preventable, especially in situations such as the workplace accident that led to Mr Phillips injuring himself.
If edge protection had been supplied and proper training and guidance regarding safety in the workplace issued then there may have been no danger from the canopy of Mr Phillips falling from height.
If you have been injured in a workplace accident that was not your fault then you may be entitled to claim work injury compensation. Speak to a member of our team today on , they will be able to give you open and honest guidance regarding a fall from height that was not your fault and caused you considerable physical pain, as well as time away from work, recovery time and medical expenses.
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