Renka Limited was fined £12,000 after an employee fell through improper scaffolding and fractured his back and ribs
Renka Limited was fined after an employee fractured his back and ribs following a fall through improper scaffolding at a house in Frodsham, Cheshire.
The company had been hired to supply and install windows, doors and frames at the property on Village Road.
The incident followed a failure to properly plan working at a height
Renka Limited workers arrived to begin the installation of a rooflight on 31 August 2021, but the tower scaffold they had been provided with was too large and could not be positioned in the area where it was needed.
The workers then made a platform using the boards from the tower scaffold and wedged them between the roof joists. They then gained access to the work area via the external scaffolding.
Following the installation of the rooflight frame, one of the workers stepped from the roof onto the platform, at which point a board broke, causing him to fall approximately five metres to the ground below and suffering fractures to his back and ribs.
Use of improper scaffolding and unsuitable work equipment should be avoided at all costs
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Renka Limited failed to adequately plan the work at height and failed to provide suitable work equipment to enable the work to be carried out safely.
The investigation also found that the company’s employees had not been provided with any instruction as to how the work should be carried out, and had not been provided with adequate training for working at height.
Renka Limited, of Birmingham Road, Marlbrook, Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £3863.25 in costs at Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 20 February 2023.
HSE inspector Sara Andrews said: “The incident could have been prevented by the adequate planning of the work and the provision of suitable equipment for work at height, together with relevant training and instructions. It is fortunate that the injuries suffered by the employee were not far more serious, or even fatal.”
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