Fall from height leaves one worker with long-term injuries
10:03 - 10/08/2010
Fall from height leaves one worker wi...
Steven McColgan, a 37-year-old construction worker from Edinburgh, suffered life-changing injuries after he fell 21 metres to the ground at a site in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Mr McColgan was working on the construction of a new block of the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) hospital at the time of the incident, which occurred on 20th October 2006. He had stepped onto a working platform in order to complete a task but part of the platform, which was unsupported, broke away and he fell the substantial distance to the ground below.
Two UK construction companies, Laing O’Rourke Construction Limited and Expanded Structures Limited, were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Newcastle Crown Court. They were fined a total of £125,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £27,910 between them.
The court heard that the temporary supports for the working platform were removed before the work was complete. They also heard that Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd, who were the principal contractor on the site, had previously received advice from the HSE on health and safety matters at another Newcastle site. It was their duty to ensure that safe systems of work were in place. As the specialist contractor, Expanded Structures Ltd also had responsibility for ensuring that an adequate risk assessment had been carried out and that daily systems of work were effective.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Victoria Wise said: “Falls from height are the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. It is imperative that such a high risk activity is subject to a high degree of overall management and control.
“In the last three years there were 142 work-related fatalities resulting from a fall from height. It is tragic that Mr McColgan’s injuries could so easily have been avoided if those in a position of responsibility had effectively discharged their duties.”
First Response can offer a wide range of health and safety training courses, including the IOSH-accredited Managing Safely in Construction. They also have a number of e-learning titles, including a course specifically designed for working at height.
Business Development and E-learning Manager Pete Stock explains: “Working at height is a high risk activity and fatalities can occur if the task is not properly controlled. Our e-learning Work at Height training course will educate the candidate on how to work safely and the importance of following safe systems of work.
“We can also offer a Slips, Trips and Falls training course. Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of accidents in the workplace and this course provides the trainee with advice regarding how to identify hazards in the workplace. At just 30 minutes in duration, these e-learning programmes are a great way to ensure that your staff are properly trained and able to work safely.”
Mr McColgan was working on the construction of a new block of the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) hospital at the time of the incident, which occurred on 20th October 2006. He had stepped onto a working platform in order to complete a task but part of the platform, which was unsupported, broke away and he fell the substantial distance to the ground below.
Two UK construction companies, Laing O’Rourke Construction Limited and Expanded Structures Limited, were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 at Newcastle Crown Court. They were fined a total of £125,000 and ordered to pay court costs of £27,910 between them.
The court heard that the temporary supports for the working platform were removed before the work was complete. They also heard that Laing O’Rourke Construction Ltd, who were the principal contractor on the site, had previously received advice from the HSE on health and safety matters at another Newcastle site. It was their duty to ensure that safe systems of work were in place. As the specialist contractor, Expanded Structures Ltd also had responsibility for ensuring that an adequate risk assessment had been carried out and that daily systems of work were effective.
Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Victoria Wise said: “Falls from height are the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. It is imperative that such a high risk activity is subject to a high degree of overall management and control.
“In the last three years there were 142 work-related fatalities resulting from a fall from height. It is tragic that Mr McColgan’s injuries could so easily have been avoided if those in a position of responsibility had effectively discharged their duties.”
First Response can offer a wide range of health and safety training courses, including the IOSH-accredited Managing Safely in Construction. They also have a number of e-learning titles, including a course specifically designed for working at height.
Business Development and E-learning Manager Pete Stock explains: “Working at height is a high risk activity and fatalities can occur if the task is not properly controlled. Our e-learning Work at Height training course will educate the candidate on how to work safely and the importance of following safe systems of work.
“We can also offer a Slips, Trips and Falls training course. Slips, trips and falls are the most common cause of accidents in the workplace and this course provides the trainee with advice regarding how to identify hazards in the workplace. At just 30 minutes in duration, these e-learning programmes are a great way to ensure that your staff are properly trained and able to work safely.”
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