Construction company fined by court and warned by HSE

Date:

6 January 2009

Release No:

HSE/NW/033PROS/09

The Health and Safety Executive has warned the construction industry about the need to properly manage working at heights following the prosecution of the principal contractor on Europe's largest city centre regeneration project.

The warning follows the prosecution of Laing O'Rourke Construction Ltd after one of their employees, William Taylor, fell more than three metres during the construction of concrete stairs inside one of the main apartment blocks on the project.

He sustained multiple serious head and other injuries and narrowly escaped falling three floors to the base of the building. Two other workers also escaped injury while working in the same unprotected area.

The incident happened on 13 August 2007 at Liverpool One, the new shopping and entertainment development in Liverpool city centre.

Laing O'Rourke Construction Ltd was today fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs at Liverpool Crown Court. The company pleaded guilty to a charge brought under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1) in that they failed to ensure the health and safety of their employees during the construction work.

Health and Safety Executive Principal Inspector Nic Rigby said:

"This prosecution should act as a warning to all those involved in the management of construction work. It was down to chance alone that this incident did not result in a fatality. That risk would have been avoided had the planning and management of the work being carried out not been so deficient.

"The accident occurred because the company failed to make adequate risk assessments and plan a safe system of work. This accident happened on the third floor of the building.

"Had the accident not occurred this same system of work would have been repeated on every one of the 12 floors of the building. A fall from that height would clearly have had much more serious consequences."

Note to editors

1. Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1) states:
   
   "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and Pr North West