A Somerset firm has been fined after a man broke his back, arm and ribs after falling three metres whilst working on a barn conversion.
Mark Clarke was helping to renovate his employer's property Heathfield Barn at North Petherton, Bridgwater when the incident occurred on 11 October last year.
Taunton Magistrates Court heard he was working on a gable end wall when he fell from a trestle work platform. Although some measures had been put in place to prevent such a fall, these were described as inadequate.
Mr Clarke, aged 55, from Bridgwater is no longer able to work in the construction industry as a result of the injuries he sustained.
UK Storage Company (SW) Limited, of Unit 3 East Quay, Wylds Road in Bridgwater, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £2,680 in costs.
After the hearing, inspector Steve Frain from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) commented: "Employers need to ensure there is adequate supervision and fall protection in place while renovation activity of this nature is undertaken. UK Storage Company (SW) Limited failed to do so, and had not taken suitable steps to prevent Mr Clarke from falling from the platform.
"Mr Clarke's injuries were so severe that he may be unable to work in the construction industry again."
(CD)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
03/12/2024
Birmingham Children's Hospital has celebrated a significant milestone in the construction of its new clinical building on Loveday Street with a topping-out ceremony. The event marked the completion of the building's steelwork framework. Attendees, including hospital staff, construction partners, ...
03/12/2024
A £6.8 million state-of-the-art Sherwood Observatory Planetarium & Science Centre in Sutton-in-Ashfield has opened its doors to the public. The project, delivered by G F Tomlinson through SCAPE, involved the transformation of a disused Victorian reservoir into a modern visitor attraction and ...
03/12/2024
Last Friday saw the National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) bring the scaffolding industry together at the ICC Belfast, to celebrate its high achievers. The Scaffolding Excellence Awards 2024 marked the culmination of the industry's first major conference and expo in Europe, Scaffex24, ...
03/12/2024
Barratt London and Places for London have exchanged contracts on a new development site in High Barnet. This is the second project unlocked by the West London Partnership, a collaboration established in June 2024 to deliver over 4,000 new homes across West London. The High Barnet development will ...
03/12/2024
Bellway Strategic Land has submitted a planning application to Durham County Council for a 149-home extension to the Seaham Garden Village development. The proposed development includes open space and wildlife improvements. Bellway conducted a public consultation process over the summer to gather ...
03/12/2024
The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) is set to launch its third global survey to investigate the mental health challenges faced by construction workers. The previous study, published in 2020, revealed alarming statistics, including: • 97% of construction workers experiencing high levels of ...
02/12/2024
Thames Water has awarded a £400 million framework to support its infrastructure upgrades over the next five years. The water company aims to address the challenges posed by ageing infrastructure and climate change. The framework will provide access to a range of professional services, including ...
02/12/2024
GRAHAM has been awarded a contract to design and build the first phase of the Cardiff Crossrail project. The ambitious project aims to transform Cardiff's transport infrastructure. As part of an early contractor involvement (ECI) deal, GRAHAM will work closely with Cardiff Council and Transport ...
02/12/2024
Watkin Jones has agreed to develop and deliver 295 new homes on behalf of Torus, the largest affordable housing provider in the North West of England, which will be partly funded by Homes England. The new scheme will result in the regeneration of an existing brownfield site, forming part of an ...
02/12/2024
Costain has been selected to provide programme management services to Thames Water as part of a new five-year framework. The contract will support the delivery of upgrades to the water company's infrastructure assets across the region. Thames Water anticipates a significant increase in its capital ...