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The conviction of a construction firm has emphasised the critical need for thorough planning and safety precautions when working at height after a worker was paralysed from the waist down after falling from the first floor of a building.
THE INCIDENT
Andrew Clifford was installing first-floor joists alone during the construction of a house in Derbyshire when he fell through a ceiling.
The 51-year-old was laying face down on the ground for about six hours after his fall, relying on hourly news bulletins from his radio to estimate the passing time. It wasn’t until a delivery driver discovered him that he received help. He spent five months in hospital and his mobility is now severely limited.
THE FAILINGS
His employer, Paul Freeman Limited, had not adequately planned for safe working conditions at height. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigators found that guardrails, harnesses, and supervised work protocols were not in place. Andrew had not been provided with suitable instruction as to how the work should be carried out and was therefore left to work this out on his own.
THE COURT CASE
The Nottinghamshire-based construction company admitted breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act at Derby Magistrates’ Court last week. It was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,263.
“This case highlights the importance of undertaking a thorough assessment of the risks for all work at height activities and the need to ensure that, where work at height cannot be avoided, suitable control measures are implemented to minimise the risk of serious injury,’ said HSE inspector Sara Andrews.
“This is even more significant when lone working.