Worker survives 13 metre fall

According to the Health and Safety Executive, a man was lucky to be alive after falling 13 metres down a shaft at a building site in Leicester. Essex construction workers may be aware that there are specific guidelines in place for work that takes place at height. After the magistrate’s court heard the details of the incident the building company involved at the site was fined £20,000 for contravening Regulation 4.1 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The distance of the fall was equal to the height of three double-decker buses and the man shattered one arm in the accident as well as receiving other injuries. The HSE said that he was not only lucky to have survived the fall itself, but he was also fortunate to have missed a metal gate that was located in the shaft which could have cut him in two had he landed on it. Although the incident occurred almost nine months ago, the injured worker is still suffering from his injuries and may never fully recover.

The construction company is based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, and was working on a building at De Montfort University in Leicester. The employee was clearing the cover over the shaft when the wooden casing collapsed, dropping the 36-year-old man down the shaft. The court heard that the managing director of David Ashley Construction Ltd was deeply affected by the incident and the company pleaded guilty to a violation of the 2005 regulations.

Companies are responsible for the safety of their employees in the workplace and should ensure that staff are properly supervised when carrying out their duties. If an employee is injured in a workplace accident, a solicitor who has experience in personal injury matters may be able to provide an assessment of the employer’s compliance with relevant regulations.