Timber building company fined after worker's fall at Shropshire school

Date:

10 August 2012

Release No:

HSE/M/105/12

A company which makes modular timber buildings has been fined after an employee suffered multiple injuries falling from a canopy at a Shropshire school.

The canopy through which Mr Phillips fell

RG Stones (Buildings) Ltd had been contracted to replace the canopy between two temporary buildings at Lakelands School on Oswestry Road in Ellesmere when the incident happened on 8 August 2011.

William Phillips, 52, of Weston Rhyn, was standing on the canopy with two colleagues when he fell three metres between the timber joists onto the concrete floor below.

He fractured his back, breastbone, six ribs and right wrist and has not yet been able to return to work.

The canopy through which Mr Phillips fell

Shrewsbury Magistrates' Court heard today (10 August) that an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had not installed any edge protection to prevent a fall. It had put two soft landing bags on the floor to mitigate the effect of any fall, but neither were in the area where the work was being carried out.

RG Stones (Buildings) ltd, of Grosvenor Road, Wrexham, Clwyd, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to protect Mr Phillips. The company was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay costs of £3,105.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Guy Dale said:

"This incident was entirely preventable. The company had obviously appreciated the risks of a fall, as shown by the provision of the landing bags, but it's a shame they didn't think to put them under the area it was most needed.

"Work at height is a high risk activity and needs to be properly planned. Had that happened, a man would not have been left with debilitating injuries."

Further information on working safely at height can be found online at www.hse.gov.uk/falls

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training, new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 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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