Prosecutions

A construction company has today been fined after a man fell six metres down a lift shaft at a construction site in Brighton.

The worker was delivering a kitchen unit to a new block of luxury flats in Brighton, when the incident happened on 3 November 2009.

The worker was walking backwards upstairs while carrying one end of the unit while a colleague supported the other end, but as they reached the second floor landing, he stepped over a roll pack of insulation and fell down the unguarded lift shaft.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the principle contractor for failing to manage the construction site properly.

Lewes Crown Court was told the worker fell about six metres and suffered a fractured spine, bruised lungs and a fractured pelvis. He was in intensive care for six days and was in hospital for four weeks. His walking is now impaired and he has been unable to return to work since the incident.

The court also heard that advice had been given to the company after a HSE inspection five months before the incident. The inspector wrote to the company requiring that any openings in the floors were protected with guardrails.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 22(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 at court today (3 March). It was fined a total of £25,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,000.

A HSE Inspector commented:

"The company were responsible as the principal contractors at the site for the safety of everyone on the site, including suppliers. Erecting guardrails across the lift shaft would have been easy and shows that simple precautions could have prevented this needless incident.

"The worker has suffered life-changing injuries because simple measures were not taken to ensure the lift shaft was guarded at all times."