15 Feb February

In this month’s newsletter we cover what H&B can offer and some case studies that are in courts:

• What H&B can offer you – Whether you have a small office, shop, warehouse, manufacturing unit or large-scale construction project, we can support your company to ensure you know your legal liabilities and understand how this directly affects your business.
• Firm in court over work at height and welfare issues – Ruttle Plant (Birmingham) Ltd was in the process of building a new aggregate recycling facility at their site at Common Bank Lane, Chorley. Part of the work included the provision of cladding to the roof, which was carried out using a cherry picker. However, as some areas of the roof were difficult to reach, employees had to step onto the roof where no edge protection had been provided, putting them at risk of a 30ft fall. In addition, workers had been on site for some considerable time without the minimum required welfare facilities being available. This included facilities for hand washing during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Scaffolding contractor fined after worker sustains multiple in fall – An operative was dismantling temporary over-roof scaffolding at a site in Hailsham, East Sussex, when he fell through the scaffolding landing on to the roof of the property below, before rolling down and on to the ground, Brighton Magistrates Court was told. He fell approximately eight meters in total and sustained two brain haemorrhages, six vertebra fractures, a fractured shoulder blade and multiple rib fractures in the incident, which happened on 15 August 2019. Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Ross Carter said: “The case highlights the importance of following industry guidance in order to design and dismantle scaffolding in a safe manner with the correct equipment made available to those undertaking the work. “If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by Mr Barnett would have been prevented.”