A builder was hit by falling construction materials after a partially-built floor gave way on a site in Leicestershire where new houses were being built.
The contracted bricklayer fell five metres and was then struck by wood and concrete blocks, fracturing his elbow and nose. The incident took place on 26 January 2012 in Shepshed, where he had been helping to construct the second floor of a new-build house for Hinckley-based W J Edge & Sons Builders Ltd.
Leicester magistrates heard on 29 November that after falling through the second floor, the builder landed on first-floor joists, which also gave way, slowing his fall to the ground but leading to more debris collapsing on top of him. He was unable to return to work for six weeks.
Martin Waring, the investigating HSE inspector who prosecuted the case in court, told SHP that the second floor collapsed due to a combination of an incomplete floor – the joists had not yet been completely fitted – and a floor overloaded with concrete blocks. He confirmed the overloading was the main cause of the incident.
“The company should have managed the work closely to ensure that no access was available on the floors until they were completely constructed,” the inspector said. “It should also have monitored the loading of the floors with dense heavy blocks. Building materials are always dense and heavy, so careful planning is needed.”
In mitigation, the firm said it had received no previous enforcement from the HSE. It had fully complied with the investigation, made an early guilty plea, and its directors were of good character.
The firm now uses acro props to support the floors from below until they are fully constructed and until some of the load can be removed from upper levels. The props are left in position until joist hangers can be put in place. “It is really a matter of common sense,” the inspector said.
W J Edge was fined £7000 and ordered to pay £5000 in a contribution to costs of £5917 after pleading guilty to breaching reg.25(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, by overloading part of a building and thereby making it unsafe.
Inspector Waring added: “This could have been a far more serious incident had the lower joists not helped to break the worker’s fall to the concrete below. He was also fortunate that a wooden board that landed on top of him provided a degree of protection from the falling concrete blocks.”
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