Injured construction worker warns companies to improve health and safety
16:23 - 02/11/2009
Injured construction worker warns com...
Liverpool worker Gerard Baccino has called for construction companies to start listening to their employees and improve health and safety measures after he sustained serious injuries in a fall from unstable scaffolding.
Mr Baccino, who fell approximately six metres to the ground and injured his back, pelvis and chest, explained: “We were moving the scaffolding tower to a new location on the site when one of the lifting chains got caught. I’ve been in a lot of pain since the incident, and will never be able to do manual work again.”
His employers, John Doyle Construction Ltd, were prosecuted by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as a result of the incident, which occurred in Liverpool City Centre in July 2007. They were fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs of £13,244 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 8(b) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 8th October this year.
Mark Cuff, HSE's Investigating Inspector, described the accident as “entirely avoidable” and went on to say that: "John Doyle Construction should have considered the implications of not following the procedures for lifting the scaffolding. Its failure to do so resulted in one of its employees being seriously injured, and it was only by chance that there wasn't a fatality."
Construction is Britain’s biggest industry, employing 2.2 billion people across the country. There have been over 2,800 fatalities and many more injuries as a result of construction work in the last 25 years, meaning it has also become one of the nation’s most dangerous industries.
Mike Mulcahy, Head of Curriculum at First Response Training, said: “It’s essential that construction companies undertake adequate Health and Safety training. We offer a range of accredited and bespoke Health and Safety training courses, all of which meet legal requirements and help employers avoid accidents such as these. We can also provide Working at Height Awareness training, which would have proved useful for the employees involved in this incident.”
To complement practical courses and perfect for induction or refresher training First Response now offer up to 40 E-Learning titles. Contact First Response today on freephone 0800 310 2300 to speak to one of our experts who can guide you through what training or consultancy services you may benefit from, or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.
Mr Baccino, who fell approximately six metres to the ground and injured his back, pelvis and chest, explained: “We were moving the scaffolding tower to a new location on the site when one of the lifting chains got caught. I’ve been in a lot of pain since the incident, and will never be able to do manual work again.”
His employers, John Doyle Construction Ltd, were prosecuted by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) as a result of the incident, which occurred in Liverpool City Centre in July 2007. They were fined £3,500 and ordered to pay costs of £13,244 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 8(b) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 8th October this year.
Mark Cuff, HSE's Investigating Inspector, described the accident as “entirely avoidable” and went on to say that: "John Doyle Construction should have considered the implications of not following the procedures for lifting the scaffolding. Its failure to do so resulted in one of its employees being seriously injured, and it was only by chance that there wasn't a fatality."
Construction is Britain’s biggest industry, employing 2.2 billion people across the country. There have been over 2,800 fatalities and many more injuries as a result of construction work in the last 25 years, meaning it has also become one of the nation’s most dangerous industries.
Mike Mulcahy, Head of Curriculum at First Response Training, said: “It’s essential that construction companies undertake adequate Health and Safety training. We offer a range of accredited and bespoke Health and Safety training courses, all of which meet legal requirements and help employers avoid accidents such as these. We can also provide Working at Height Awareness training, which would have proved useful for the employees involved in this incident.”
To complement practical courses and perfect for induction or refresher training First Response now offer up to 40 E-Learning titles. Contact First Response today on freephone 0800 310 2300 to speak to one of our experts who can guide you through what training or consultancy services you may benefit from, or e-mail info@firstresponsetraining.com.
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