Company fined £200,000 after employee badly injured in fall

A Glasgow based property management company has been fined £200,000 after an employee was left in a wheelchair after falling eight metres through a rooflight.

The employee, an asbestos surveyor employed by City Property (Glasgow) LLP, suffered severe injuries after he fell while carrying out a survey on the roof of Netherton Community Centre, Glasgow on 5 April 2018.

The employee now uses a wheelchair having suffered multiple skull fractures as well as a bleed to the brain and multiple spine and rib fractures. .

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that City Property (Glasgow) LLP did not provide a safe system for working at height on the external roof areas of the community centre in that it did not plan, organise and supervise the work, to ensure that the risks were identified and adequate precautions were in place.

City Property (Glasgow) LLP of Exchange House, George Street, Glasgow pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1), 2(2)(a) and (c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and were fined £200,000 at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 21 December 2022.

The HSE principal inspector said: “Falls from a height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and significant injuries in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.

“Falls from height are avoidable and (the employees) accident would have been prevented had the risks been properly assessed and the appropriate control measures implemented.

“Employers should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards”.

To learn more about Working at Height check the link below

https://www.barkerosh.com/services/working-at-height-

Confectionery firm fined after worker is injured in fall

Again in Scotland a confectionery and meringue manufacturer has been fined £5,000 after a worker was badly injured in a fall from a forklift truck.

The employee of Lees of Scotland Limited was hurt while helping unload a delivery of equipment from a lorry using a forklift truck in the yard of the company’s Coatbridge site on June 4, 2019.

The man had been asked to get on the forklift truck to try to help it stay upright because it couldn’t lift the load.

The employee fell from the forklift truck, resulting in a broken arm, cuts to his head and muscle damage to his back. He was off work for more than four weeks, before returning on light duties.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Lees of Scotland Limited had failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks arising from a lifting operation undertaken by employees.

This involved the unloading of a lorry using a forklift truck which was not capable of lifting the weight of the loads.

Lees of Scotland Limited, North Caldeen Road, Coatbridge pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations Section 2(1) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974. It was fined £5,000 at Airdrie Sheriff Court on December 13, 2022.

The HSE inspector said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

To learn more about Working at Height check the link below

https://www.barkerosh.com/services/working-at-height-

Firm fined after blind man falls into open manhole

In what appears to be a trend a third Scottish Employer also fell foul when a family-run plumbing business has been fined £4,000 after a blind man fell into an open manhole.

The 62-year-old registered-blind resident of Hanover Court, a sheltered housing development in Banchory, Aberdeenshire, suffered injuries to his left leg in the fall on February 19, 2020.

The manhole at the sheltered housing development had been left open by A & R Services while a blockage was being cleared.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that A & R Services failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risk posed by the open manhole.

The company had failed to put in place barriers, signage or other protective measures to prevent anyone from accessing the pathway leading to the open manhole.

In addition, other than leaning the manhole cover against a door, no signage, barriers, guarding or other protective measures were put in place to prevent pedestrians from falling into the manhole while using the door.

A & R Services, of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £4,000 at Aberdeen Sheriff Court on December 14, 2022.

The HSE principal inspector said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”

To learn more about Working at Height check the link below

https://www.barkerosh.com/services/working-at-height-