A Stockport laundry firm has been fined after an employee fell through a mezzanine floor onto an industrial iron, sustaining third-degree burns.
The 34 year old man, a father of one, was in hospital for six weeks after the incident at Vineshield Professional Services Ltd in November 2013.
Trafford Magistrates’ Court heard on 11 September that an investigation by the HSE found the company had failed to monitor the condition of the floor and did not ensure that it was of a suitable construction for the environment in which it was used.
Witnesses provided evidence to HSE that there were leaks in the roof which went onto the wooden floor and metal patches were found in several places where there were holes in the wood.
Vineshield Professional Services Ltd, of Baxall Business Centre, Adswood Industrial Estate, Stockport, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 12(1) of the Workplace (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992. It was fined £20,000, plus £7,915.50 costs.
HSE inspector Helen Jones, speaking after the hearing, said: “Vineshield Professional Services failed to carry out checks to ensure the floor was safe to work on. This was of importance due to the heat and steam generated in the working environment. An industrial iron giving off steam was situated directly underneath the mezzanine floor. The injured worker was severely burnt and had to undergo very painful treatment in hospital.”
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I would be interested to get a copy of the latest floor inspection report from the HSE head offices. Very easy for HSE in their ivory tower.