A construction and joinery firm has been fined following the fatal accident of one of its employees…
A firm has been fined £10,000, with costs of £19,000 after failing to maintain the safety of one of its employees.
Peter Wright, who was trading as PW Joinery and Building Services, is based in Thirsk. He received the fines after a self-employed labourer fell, sustaining fatal injuries. Derek Wensley, who was working on an unsecured stepladder to the first floor of a two-storey extension was carrying a bucket of mortar when the incident occurred.
Teeside Crown Court, where the case was heard, was informed that the stepladder used by Mr Wensley was too short to reach the first floor, which was accessed by passing through a gap in the flooring between the joists. Mr Wensley suffered head injuries after falling from the stepladder, which unfortunately led to his death.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the firm had failed to ensure sufficient risk assessments were in place, which would have discovered problems with health and safety on the site. The HSE said failure to supervise the project appropriately had led to an accident that could have been avoided.
During the court case Wright pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined as a result and ordered to pay costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Yolande Burns-Sleightholme said: “The failure by Mr Wright to comply with his legal duty of care to those working on site led to this worker suffering fatal injuries.
“The potential for this was always present.
“All employers need to ensure that risks from height are fully considered. HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those who fall so far below the required standards.”