HSE Warns Of The Dangers Of Working At Height After Herefordshire Employee Is Injured, UK

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 21 Dec 2007 - 12:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning company directors and owners of the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height. This follows the HSE prosecution of a company after an incident in which a worker was seriously injured.

John Ruck Construction Ltd of Leominster, Herefordshire was (on Monday 17 December) ordered to pay £3,500 in fines, with £1,165 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The court heard that, on 4 December 2006, employee Mark Woodward (25), fell more than 4.5 metres (15ft) through a roof whilst working at Leadon Court near Ledbury.

Sufficient measures had not been taken to support or protect anyone from falling off or through the fragile roofs adjoining the one where the company was undertaking re-roofing. Mark Woodward fell through one of those adjacent fibre cement sheet roofs onto a concrete floor below.

HSE Principal Inspector Tony Woodward said: "The roof where John Ruck Construction Ltd was contracted to work had measures in place to protect employees but, when the work plan changed, those employees were passing across other roofs which were totally unprotected. Mark Woodward suffered a broken arm that, even 12 months later, was sufficiently serious to require ongoing surgery. He is extremely lucky to be alive; we would not normally expect someone falling from that height onto a concrete floor to survive. Such falls remain one of the biggest killers of employees and last year, across the country, in the construction industry alone there were 10 employees killed, 13 self-employed killed and 3,409 seriously injured after falling from height.

"Many incidents could be avoided if companies ensured that they had thought through a safe way of tackling a job, provided all necessary protective equipment and ensured workers were fully trained and properly supervised. Precautions that need to be taken to prevent falls are often simple and there is ample free guidance readily available to help companies take the right action."

Notes

1. Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 states:

Where it is not reasonably practicable to carry out work safely and under appropriate ergonomic conditions without passing across or near, or working on, from or near, a fragile surface, every employer shall:

a. ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that suitable and sufficient platforms, coverings, guard rails or similar means of support or protection are provided and used so that any foreseeable loading is supported by such supports or borne by such protection;

b. where a risk of a person at work falling remains despite the measures taken under the preceding provisions of this regulation, take suitable and sufficient measures to minimise the distances and consequences of his fall.

2. Further information on falls from height can be found here.

3. Information on construction safety can be found here.

http://www.hse.gov.uk