A tragic event on a UK construction site has highlighted the importance of safety compliance on construction sites. This incident particularly highlights the role of employers in maintaining construction site health and safety. Due to the negligence of a contractor and the company’s directors, a teenage worker suffered a fatal fall from a barn roof, a Newcastle Court found. The worker was standing on a roof panel which gave in under his weight and collapsed, causing him to fall 6 meters to the ground. The worker died 2 days later in hospital.
Had the employers provided proper fall protection, the young man may still have been alive today. To add fuel to the fire, the employer had also failed to properly train the workers on site and had neglected to supervise them, regardless of being aware of the risks involved.
A report by Constructionenquirer.com has more:
A Northumberland contractor and two of its directors have been fined for safety failings after a teenage worker died following a fall from a barn roof.
Jamie Lee Duddin, 18, of Corbridge, and another Scotts of Whittington employee were carrying out repairs to the roof lights of the barn at Heddon Low Farm, Heddon on the Wall, Northumberland, when the incident occurred on July 23 2010.
Newcastle Crown Court heard during a two and a half week trial that the teenager was rushed to hospital but died two days later.
Duddin was standing on a roof panel made of fibre cement board when it collapsed. He fell through the roof landing on a concrete floor six metres below.
A joint investigation by Northumbria Police and the Health and Safety Executive found that the work had not been properly planned.
It also identified that inadequate equipment had been provided and that the workers were not properly trained or supervised.
Scotts of Whittington Ltd was fined £65,000 after pleading guilty to safety breaches.
Company directors Alfred Wood, 65, of Great Whittington and his son, Christopher Wood, 41, of Great Whittington also pleaded guilty to safety breaches and were fined £13,000 and £2,000 respectively.
In addition the defendants were ordered to pay combined court costs of £19,000.
HSE Inspector Martin Smith, said: “This was a tragedy that could and should have been avoided. Instead a young man has lost his life as a result of collective failures including confusing instructions on how the work should be safely carried out, a lack of supervision and a failure to properly plan the work and provide adequate equipment.
“Alfred Wood was also prosecuted for a similar, but non-fatal incident, in 1998 when he was a partner in another company – so he in particular has no excuse for any failures to follow guidance on working at height.”
Source: http://www.constructionenquirer.com/2012/07/13/directors-fined-after-barn-roof-death-fall/
In Oz, falling from heights is the main cause of death on construction sites, which is why this issue is particularly relevant.
Employers should follow these steps in order to safeguard themselves against fall hazard prosecutions:
Step 1: Develop and Allocate responsibilities to workers for managing fall prevention
Every worker and employer has a responsibility to manage the prevention of falls on the site.
Step 2: Identify All Fall Hazards, for example work from house roofs, work on fragile or unstable surfaces, work on sloping or slippery surfaces, work near an edge, hole, pit or shaft.
Step 3: Assess the Risks of Workers Falling from Height
Assess potential dangers and possible circumstances that may increase the risk of the fall.
Step 4 – Determine What Measures Must Be Taken To Prevent or Minimise the Risk Of A Fall. Question whether the work can be done from the ground to eliminate the hazard or can a work positioning system be used to minimise the risk of falling.
Step 5-Implement Fall Prevention Measures
Implement measures to control the risk, if the risk cannot be removed and train workers on these measures.
Step 6 – Ensure Emergency Procedures are in place in the event of a fall
Make sure workers are well trained in Emergency Response Procedures (ERP).
Step 7 – Plant and Prevention Devices
Use the correct plant for the task and do so safely. Also ensure fall prevention devices are properly maintained and used.
Step 8 –Regularly Review Safety Processes
Check Risk Assessments and Safety Measures at every site and as changes occur, review measures regularly.
Posted by Peter Cutforth
