Court issues £400,000 in fines after fatal fall from height
13:51 - 14/04/2011
Court issues £400,000 in fines after...
Two Scottish companies have been fined a total of £400,000 after a labourer fell to his death in what an inspector for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has described as an “entirely preventable” accident.
James Kelly was working as a labourer for stonemason firm Stirling Stone Ltd at the Glasgow Academy when the accident happened on 26th April 2007. He was working on the third level of a loading tower of scaffolding at the site when he fell to the ground. He died as a result of his injuries.
The subsequent HSE investigation revealed that there was no safe system of work in place for loading materials onto the loading tower and that no suitable risk assessment had been carried out. Inspectors also found that the loading tower lacked sufficient guard rails. In fact, a single guard rail was found on the ground near to where Mr Kelly fell.
Neither Stirling Stone Ltd, nor the company who had contracted them to work on the site, Robertson Construction Central Ltd, had taken steps to ensure that the tower and access scaffolding were regularly inspected for safety. Both companies were found guilty of breaching health and safety legislation at Glasgow Sheriff Court and they were each fined £200,000.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector John Shelton said: “What happened to Mr Kelly was entirely preventable and would not have happened if the proper steps had been taken.
“[...] There is no excuse for the contractors not to have agreed procedures as to how this work was to be done and ensured that this routine work was carried out safely.
“Where vital edge protection is removed temporarily to allow loading up to take place, steps must be taken to ensure persons cannot fall during that work.”
Established in 1997, First Response Training offers a wide range of health and safety training for all industry sectors, including special focus training courses for the construction industry.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, explains: “Construction sites are potentially very dangerous places to work and safety should be of paramount importance to all those involved in construction work.
“Training is the main way in which accidents can be prevented. We can offer training in The CDM Regulations (2007), which can be delivered as a 3-hour session tailored for either contractors, clients or designers, or a 6-hour session to encompass all three perspectives. We also offer Working at Height training, to teach delegates about the principles of safe work at height and the importance of conducting a risk assessment prior to commencing any work at height task, and other specialist safety courses including Tower Scaffolding, Ladder Safety and Mobile Elevating Work Platform.
“To assist those with supervisory or managerial responsibilities at a construction site, we also have a special IOSH-accredited training course, Managing Safely in Construction, which has been developed by First Response and approved by the leading occupational safety body.
"Please call us on free phone 0800 310 2300 to find out more about any of these courses.”
James Kelly was working as a labourer for stonemason firm Stirling Stone Ltd at the Glasgow Academy when the accident happened on 26th April 2007. He was working on the third level of a loading tower of scaffolding at the site when he fell to the ground. He died as a result of his injuries.
The subsequent HSE investigation revealed that there was no safe system of work in place for loading materials onto the loading tower and that no suitable risk assessment had been carried out. Inspectors also found that the loading tower lacked sufficient guard rails. In fact, a single guard rail was found on the ground near to where Mr Kelly fell.
Neither Stirling Stone Ltd, nor the company who had contracted them to work on the site, Robertson Construction Central Ltd, had taken steps to ensure that the tower and access scaffolding were regularly inspected for safety. Both companies were found guilty of breaching health and safety legislation at Glasgow Sheriff Court and they were each fined £200,000.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector John Shelton said: “What happened to Mr Kelly was entirely preventable and would not have happened if the proper steps had been taken.
“[...] There is no excuse for the contractors not to have agreed procedures as to how this work was to be done and ensured that this routine work was carried out safely.
“Where vital edge protection is removed temporarily to allow loading up to take place, steps must be taken to ensure persons cannot fall during that work.”
Established in 1997, First Response Training offers a wide range of health and safety training for all industry sectors, including special focus training courses for the construction industry.
Perry Leeks, Managing Director at First Response, explains: “Construction sites are potentially very dangerous places to work and safety should be of paramount importance to all those involved in construction work.
“Training is the main way in which accidents can be prevented. We can offer training in The CDM Regulations (2007), which can be delivered as a 3-hour session tailored for either contractors, clients or designers, or a 6-hour session to encompass all three perspectives. We also offer Working at Height training, to teach delegates about the principles of safe work at height and the importance of conducting a risk assessment prior to commencing any work at height task, and other specialist safety courses including Tower Scaffolding, Ladder Safety and Mobile Elevating Work Platform.
“To assist those with supervisory or managerial responsibilities at a construction site, we also have a special IOSH-accredited training course, Managing Safely in Construction, which has been developed by First Response and approved by the leading occupational safety body.
"Please call us on free phone 0800 310 2300 to find out more about any of these courses.”
Make your selections below and enter your postcode (if applicable). This will provide you with information about a course in a location convenient to you
