A construction company has been fined £60,000 following a wall collapse, which knocked an employee through an open stairwell onto a concrete floor below.
Ace Infra pleaded guilty after the incident, which resulted in the employee, Mark Jones, spending a month in hospital recovering from his injuries.
Jones, a general labourer, was sweeping up dust and debris on the first floor of an Ace Infra building site in Cumbria.
Earlier that day, boards had been delivered and laid across a large opening in the floor where a staircase was to be installed.
While sweeping along the boards, a newly built wall to the left collapsed, knocking him over the unprotected edge onto the concrete floor 2.5-3m below.
Jones suffered multiple fractures and a dislocated shoulder.
According to an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the boards did not cover the entire opening, and no edge protection had been installed around the remaining gap.
The HSE investigation found that the risk of falling through the gap in the floor had not been addressed, as no preventative measures had been taken.
It added that Jones had not been made aware of the risks or the safety measures required, and no site supervisor or manager was present when the incident occurred.
Preventing falls from height
HSE guidance on working at height states that employers must take precautions to prevent falls from heights that could cause serious personal injury, including falls into floor openings.
Employers have a duty to ensure workers are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
Ace Infra pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to ensure that suitable and sufficient measures were taken, so far as was reasonably practicable, to prevent any person working at height from falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.
As well as the £60,000 fine, the company was ordered to pay £4,799.44 in costs, with a £2,000 victim surcharge.
HSE inspector, Derek McLauchlan, said: “Everyone working in construction has a responsibility to ensure that people are safe. Any work at height is potentially high-risk and requires proper planning and implementation.
“This incident could have been avoided had appropriate control measures and training been in place.
“Despite the serious injuries sustained, a fall of this height and nature could have resulted in far worse outcomes. Lessons must be learned from this case.”
