Ad
Wednesday, April 2, 2025
6.5 C
London

U.K. Edition

Scaffolding company fined after worker injured in fall

- Advertisement -

A Cornish scaffolding company has been fined £24,000 after a worker was injured when he fell through a fibreglass skylight.

The 37-year-old scaffolder was working for Worden Scaffolding, part of GK Worden & Son Limited, on a commercial project at an industrial unit in Liskeard on 22 July 2019.

The company had been tasked with installing edge protection on the unit’s asbestos cement pitched roof, which had fibreglass rooflights running along it.

The scaffolder was walking up the apex of the gable end of the roof when he stepped on and fell through a rooflight, landing on a concrete mezzanine floor about 3m below.

He suffered a complex fracture to the wrist and hand, a broken rib and a bruised kidney.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that another scaffolder from Worden Scaffolding had also been exposed to similar risks of working near fragile rooflights at the same site in the months before.

In both instances, HSE found the work was not properly planned, appropriately supervised or carried out in a safe manner when the incident occurred. The workers were on the roof without edge protection, crawling boards, harnesses, lanyards or nets. The company had a duty to control how the work was carried out, including staff instruction.

GK Worden & Son Ltd of St Ann’s Chapel, Gunnislake, Cornwall, pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regs 2005, and was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,000 at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court on 1 November 2022.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Peter Buscombe said: “This worker’s injuries were serious. This incident could have been avoided if basic safeguards had been put in place.

“Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and injuries in this country and the risks associated with working on or near fragile surfaces are well-known.”

- Advertisement -

Popular this week >

NASC and SAA Unite to Boost Global Scaffolding Standards

In a landmark move for the global scaffolding industry,...

TRAD UK Hits £30,000 in Annual Fundraising Challenge

The company raised target three times as employees and...

Service and Support: The Values Driving Commercial Success for Layher Customers

Businesses overlook good customer relationships at their peril. It...

Doka Unveils Cutting-Edge Innovations Ahead of Bauma 2025

Austrian formwork and scaffolding giant Doka is preparing to...

Pilosio to Unveil Pioneering Scaffolding and Formwork Solutions at Bauma 2025

Italian construction solutions specialist Pilosio will unveil an extensive...
- Advertisements -

Related Articles >

Scaffolding Company Hit with £30,000 Fine Over Safety Lapses

A Merseyside scaffolding company has been fined £30,800 after an investigation found workers had been using an unsafe scaffold at a construction site in Merseyside. A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd, based in Kirkby, was prosecuted...

Latest Topics

AT-PAC Strengthens U.S. Team with Key Appointment

Scaffolding systems provider AT-PAC has appointed seasoned industry figure...

Avontus Employee to Run London Half Marathon in Honour of Loved Ones

An employee at scaffolding software company Avontus is preparing...

Pilosio to Unveil Pioneering Scaffolding and Formwork Solutions at Bauma 2025

Italian construction solutions specialist Pilosio will unveil an extensive...

New Scheme Aims to Transform Apprenticeship Experience in Construction

A new initiative designed to reward and support apprentices...
- Advertisement -

Popular Categories