The Occult Bot

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned the employers appointing employees to work at heights to provide adequate safety measures at the workplace to prevent mishaps. The HSE notice follows the conviction of a construction company after the accident of an apprentice joiner, who suffered severe injuries due to a fall.

In the accident that took place in mid 2007, the 20-year-old trainee was working with City Building (Glasgow) LLP. He was engaged in the construction of a new primary school building at Kyleakin Road in the Arden area of Glasgow, when an opening on the top floor covered with a loose plywood sheet gave way, causing him to fall over four metres to the floor below. The worker sustained serious neck injury and other bodily injuries.

The accident was caused because of the improper cover over the floor opening, as there was no proper edge protection or an adequate covering with supports. It is a requirement to undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment (Risk Assessment Training) on all work undertaken where there is a risk of injury as a result of a fall from height.

In the prosecution before Glasgow Sheriff Court, the employers pleaded guilty to the charges of breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and were slapped with a fine of 20,000 pounds. The decision of the Court came on September 10, 2009.

HSE Inspector Annette Leppla pointed out that the accident was not only foreseeable but also preventable, had a little caution been exercised on the part of the employer. She said the worker was injured because the employer was negligent in providing safeguards needed while working at heights. She added that the trainee was fortunate to have suffered the fall and survived it without any permanent disability. City Building drew flak from her for using loose plywood to cover floor gaps, which she said was totally inappropriate for the purpose.

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