Companies Warned About Work At Height After Man Left Paralysed From Waist Down

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are warning firms and their employees to make sure proper precautions are in place when working at height after a man was left paralysed from the waist down.

Stephen Monks was working at Lancashire Chemical Works Ltd, at High Street West in Glossop on 12 April 2005 when he fell 3.6metres (nearly 12ft) through an open trapdoor, leaving him paralysed below the waist and in hospital for seven months.

At an earlier hearing the Glossop company had pleaded guilty to contravening the Health and Safety at Work Act and Work at Height Regulations. Today at Derby Crown Court they were fined £40,000 plus £15,000 costs.

Derbyshire HSE inspector Mike Nind said: "This was an extremely nasty injury which could easily have been fatal. Every year people working at height lose their lives or suffer serious injury.

"No formal procedures were in place at the company before the accident, with reliance being placed upon the experience of employees to undertake this work safely. Firms, contractors and their clients need to exercise sufficient control to prevent this sort of thing happening - including carrying out a proper risk assessment. "

Throughout Britain 53 people died and nearly 3,800 suffered a serious injury in 2004/05 as a result of a fall from height in the workplace.

Falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injury and the second most common cause of major injury to employees, accounting for around 15% of injuries at work.

Firms must remember:

* If you are following good practice for work at height now they should already be doing enough to comply with these Regulations;

* follow the risk assessments you have carried out for work at height activities and make sure all work at height is planned, organised and carried out by competent persons;

* follow the hierarchy for managing risks from work at height - take steps to avoid, prevent or reduce risks; and

* choose the right work equipment and select collective measures to prevent falls (such as guardrails and working platforms) before other measures which may only mitigate the distance and consequences of a fall (such as nets or airbags) or which may only provide personal protection from a fall.

Source: GNN Press Release

 
 
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