Essex firm slated for lack of fall prevention

An Essex construction firm has been fined for safety failings after an employee broke his spine when he fell through a skylight opening at a construction site in Hampshire.
Prestige Construction Services Ltd based in Rainham, was sentenced at Portsmouth Magistrate Courts on 12 August after an HSE investigation revealed there were inadequate measures in place to prevent, or mitigate the fall.
The court heard that the worker, who does not wish to be identified, was helping to construct the roof of a new-build community centre, near Fareham on 16 August 2011. There were several holes in the roof where skylights were due to be fixed, however, these gaps were left exposed, with no coverings or guard rails them holes, and no safety nets installed underneath.
The worker fell nearly four metres to the floor below, with his spine taking the impact. He has since made a full recovery following the incident, but was unable to work for six weeks.Prestige Construction Services Ltd pleaded guilty to single breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, and was fined a total of £30,000, with £9000 in costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Steve Hull said: “You would expect a construction company to be fully aware of the risks posed by working at height and to take the appropriate safety precautions. Yet, that clearly didn’t happen here, and the employee could easily have paid with his life as a result.
“The incident was entirely preventable had Prestige Construction Services put effective measures in place to prevent or mitigate a fall, as is essential at all times during roof work.”
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Essex firm slated for lack of fall prevention
An Essex construction firm has been fined for safety failings after an employee broke his spine when he fell through a skylight opening at a construction site in Hampshire.
Safety & Health Practitioner
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Roofer slated eh??