PR/281106/LON. GNN141298P. 28 November 2006

Hertfordshire man prosecuted following the death of a construction worker who fell four storeys while replacing windows

The HSE is warning the construction industry of the dangers of working at height following the death of a man who fell while replacing windows. Christopher Lucas from Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead has been fined £15,000 at City of London Magistrates Court yesterday (27 November) following the death of Steven Sinclair from Watford in a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive.

Christopher Lucas runs a Double Glazing window replacement company called Four Seasons. 40-year-old Steven Sinclair and another man were employed by Mr Lucas to replace double-glazed windows on 3 October 2005. The work was being done between the 3rd and 4th floor of a residential apartment block in Flat 44, Greville Hall, Greville Place, London NW6. The glass was very heavy and as the men lifted it into place they and the glass all fell 11m to the ground. Steven Sinclair was taken to hospital but died later that day.

Christopher Lucas pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Adequate means had not been used to prevent the men from falling and Christopher Lucas was not aware of the minimum legal requirements for working at height.

Following the trial at the City of London Magistrates Court on 27 November 2006, HSE Inspector Lisa Chappell said,

"The risks of working at height are well-known, yet falls remain the most common cause of death and injury in the construction industry. Mr Sinclair's family are grieving the loss of a son and brother following a fatal accident that could easily have been prevented. This case highlights once again the absolute necessity for work at height to be properly planned, and for equipment such as guard rails, barriers or harnessed to be used where appropriate."

There is a hierarchy of means to protect people working at height. Under the Working at Height Regulations, a window ledge needs to be between 810-950mm high.

Notes to editors

1. Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) states that it shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety.
2. The Health and Safety Commission is responsible for health and safety regulation in Great Britain. The Health and Safety Executive and local government are the enforcing authorities working in support of the Commission. See www.hse.gov.uk for more information. For more information about hazards at work and occupational health, see http://hse.gov.uk/pubns/ohindex.htm.
3. The family do not want to be contacted by the media but have made statements, which are as follows:

Statement from Darren Sinclair, Steve's Brother

Losing my brother Steve has had a devastating affect on my life. Aside from the not sleeping, losing my job and coming to terms with not having any brothers, there's a great void in my life that will never be filled.

I had two brothers and we were all inseparable - best friends - and everyone knew us and enjoyed our company. So when we lost Mick in a car crash because of a drunk driver, Steve and I became so close words alone just can't explain; best of friends just doesn't sound enough somehow.

I love and miss Steve so much I would do anything to turn back the clock and be with him once again, I need a brother in my life after 40 years of having two, I feel so alone and lost.

There's not a day that goes by when I don't think of him or see a car like his going by and for a split second wonder if it's my brother Steve. We went out together, we went to the gym together, when we could we went on holiday together and ran 10K races together every year - and so much more.

He was a fantastic brother, and a fantastic friend, and would do anything for anyone and often did - from donating money to charity when he could to doing DIY for all his friends, as he was a carpenter. I now look forward to seeing Steve and Mick again and no longer fear death but now life is so hard.

Statement from Ellen Sinclair, Steve's Mother

How can I put into words the effect that the death of my precious son Stephen has left on my life? To try and explain is beyond words. To say my heart is broken is just words but to feel the depth of pain you have to sit by the bed of that son and see the broken body of that lovely man who, only 24 hours before, was happy and so full of life with all his friends.

Public enquiries

HSE's InfoLine: 0845 3450055
Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG

HSE information and news releases can be accessed on the Internet www.hse.gov.uk/