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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
Work experience pupil fell from scaffolding structure
William Hargreaves Ltd, a construction company from Wigan, has been fined £1,500, with £1,774 costs, at Hyndburn Magistrates' Court after admitting breaching r.6(1) of the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1996.
The prosecution related to an incident during July 2004 in which a 15-year-old work experience boy fell approximately 3m from scaffolding above a loading bay. The Blackburn schoolboy had been spending 2 weeks working with bricklayers at Hargreaves' Clearwater Village housing development in Marsh House Lane in Darwen, at the time, he suffered a brain haemorrhage, concussion and bruising.
Comment
"Falls from height are one of the commonest causes of injury in construction work, yet with proper protective measures, they are easily preventable. In this case the loading bay was protected by a single guardrail that was not secured. Loading bay gates should have been fitted.
Hargreaves Ltd completed risk assessments relating to prevention of falls and erection of scaffolds and a young person's risk assessment was carried out, but they had not been forwarded to the site manager who was unaware of ____'s presence on site so he was not inducted into health and safety procedures.
He was working among a team of 5, assisting bricklayers with carrying of bricks, moving mortar and generally helping them. He was working on scaffold throughout this time." - HSE inspector who took the case.
