Worker Falls from Unsecured Ladder
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging employers to ensure they have adequate safety measures in place to protect staff working at height after a worker suffered a fractured pelvis and damaged hip after falling three metres from an unsecured ladder.
Scandinavian Log Cabins Direct Ltd, based in Theddlethorpe, near Mablethorpe, Lincolnshire, was fined £500 and ordered to pay £500 towards the costs after pleading guilty of breaching regulation 4 (1) (c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, at Skegness Magistrates' Court today.
Raymond Martin, a 48 year old who lived locally, had been working on a tower scaffold on 6 August 2007, as part of his work to construct a log cabin. During a break, the scaffolded area had been removed, so Mr Martin completed his work using a section of a two-part ladder which was not tied, secured or footed. The ladder slipped and he fell three metres onto a concrete floor, sustaining serious injuries.
HSE inspector Judith McNulty-Green said:
"This incident could easily have been avoided if the company had done a proper risk assessment to ensure adequate safety measures were in place for people working at height, including planning and supervising this work. None of these things happened.
"Unfortunately that did not happen here as the tower scaffold had been removed during the work and the ladder that was used in its place was not tied, secured or footed. If it had, Mr Martin may not have been injured. Instead, he suffered a fractured pelvis, chips to the ball joint of his hip, and damage to the sciatic nerve in his leg - the nerve later had to be removed. He was in surgery for over seven hours, had to have plates fitted to repair his pelvis and will now need a hip replacement. In fact, the injuries were so severe that he wasn't able to visit family and friends in his native Barnsley for several months after the incident.
"All employers should heed this warning to ensure that they have safe systems of work in place when organising work at height. HSE will not hesitate to prosecute employers who put the safety of others at risk."
Notes to editors
1. Regulation 4 (1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 states "Every employer shall ensure that work at height is –
(a) properly planned;
(b) appropriately supervised; and
(c) carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe,"
2.The maximum penalty for a breach of the regulations in a Magistrates Court is £5000.
Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and PR East Midlands.
