HSE warns companies about work at height after death of construction worker
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning firms and their employees to make sure proper precautions are in place when working at height following the sentencing of a Leicestershire builder after one of his bricklayers died. The warning follows the death of Daniel Leighton, aged 30, from North Leicester who was killed on 11th April 2003 when a tower scaffolding he was using on a house extension in Cossington fell over.
(Media-Newswire.com) - The Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) is warning firms and their employees to make sure proper precautions are in place when working at height following the sentencing of a Leicestershire builder after one of his bricklayers died.
The warning follows the death of Daniel Leighton, aged 30, from North Leicester who was killed on 11th April 2003 when a tower scaffolding he was using on a house extension in Cossington fell over.
This week ( Monday 5 March ) at Leicester Crown Court, Michael Tony Mortimer of Merry Lees, Thornton near Coalville was sentenced for contravening the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £50,000. Costs were £43,881.
Mortimer had pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Loughborough Magistrates on 9 January 2007.
Leicestershire HSE Construction Principal Inspector Steve Spence said:
"This was a tragic accident which killed a young man. It was entirely preventable had the scaffold tower been properly set up and maintained. Every year people working at height lose their lives or suffer serious injury and firms need to exercise sufficient control to prevent this sort of thing happening - including carrying out a proper risk assessment."
Throughout Britain 46 people died and over 3350 suffered a serious injury in 2005/06 as a result of a fall from height in the workplace.
Falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injury and the second most common cause of major injury to employees, accounting for around 15% of injuries at work.
Notes to editors Michael Tony Mortimer pleaded guilty to contravening Section 3( 2 ) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 etc which states that it shall be the duty of every self employed person to conduct his undertaknig 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. Fine £50,000. He was also ordered to pay full costs of £43,881.
Firms should remember that work at height can be extremely dangerous unless proper control measures are in place. Although this accident occurred before the work at height regulations 2005 were introduced it again illustrates that compliance with this legislation is essential. * If you are following good practice for work at height now should already be doing enough to comply with these Regulations; * follow the risk assessments you have carried out for work at height activities and make sure all work at height is planned, organised and carried out by competent persons; * follow the hierarchy for managing risks from work at height - take steps to avoid, prevent or reduce risks; and * choose the right work equipment and select collective measures to prevent falls ( such as guardrails and working platforms ) before other measures which may only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall ( such as nets or airbags ) or which may only provide personal protection from a fall. More information is available at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/index.htm
Public enquiries HSE's InfoLine 0845 3450055 Caerphilly Business Park, Caerphilly CF83 3GG
HSE information and news releases can be accessed on the Internet http://www.hse.gov.uk/
ISSUED ON BEHALF OF THE HEALTH & SAFETY EXECUTIVE BY GNN EAST MIDLANDS.
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