A plant hire company has been fined for leaving workers at risk of a fall from height and failing to provide minimum welfare facilities.

Blackpool Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 17 November 2020, Ruttle Plant (Birmingham) Ltd was in the process of building a new aggregate recycling facility at their site at Common Bank Lane, Chorley. Part of the work included the provision of cladding to the roof, which was carried out using a cherry picker. However, as some areas of the roof were difficult to reach, employees had to step onto the roof where no edge protection had been provided, putting them at risk of a 30ft fall. In addition, workers had been on site for some considerable time without the minimum required welfare facilities being available. This included facilities for hand washing during the height of the Covid pandemic.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the workers had been left unsupervised by site management, there had been no method statement to follow when they climbed onto the roof and there were no preventative measures in place to prevent the risk of a fall from height. Workers were also expected to drive to the company’s head office along an unadopted roadway more than five minutes’ drive away to use the toilet, despite there being ample room on the site for facilities.

Ruttle Plant Hire (Birmingham) Ltd of Lancaster House, Ackhurst Road, Chorley, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 13(4)(c) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, and Regulation 4(1) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £66,667 and ordered to pay costs of £1,847.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Christine McGlynn said: “Had a worker fallen off the roof edge, it could have been fatal. Employers should ensure that workers are not left to carry out high risk roof work without supervision.

“Work at height and roof work should only be carried out by trained workers, who are being robustly monitored, following proper planning, risk assessment and using suitable equipment. The minimum standards for welfare must also be met.”

Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: Construction- Roof work industry health and safety 
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A North-East manufacturer of artificial trees, plants and flowers has been sentenced after an employee suffered serious injuries when he fell from height.

Newcastle Magistrates’ Court heard how a warehouse operative was gathering products from shelf racking. The products were stored in boxes, unwrapped on pallets up to four bays high. Access to the racking was gained by using a ladder and then either dropping the items or carrying them down to the ground. During this work, the operative slipped from the ladder and fell approximately five metres, striking his head on a pallet as he fell and sustaining a head injury.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Treelocate (Europe) Limited had failed to properly plan the work and had failed to ensure there was safe access to the area and that measures were taken to prevent and/or mitigate a fall from height.

Treelocate (Europe) Limited of Belford Industrial Estate, Belford, Northumberland, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £40,000 with £1,620.40 costs by Newcastle Magistrates Court.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Phil Chester said: “Treelocate (Europe) Ltd failed to suitably plan and carry out work at height in its warehouse to reduce the risk from working at height to as far as is reasonably practicable. Ladders should not just be the go-to piece of equipment for working at height and suitable planning should be done in order to remove the risk where possible.”

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Further information about health and safety during working at height can be found at: https://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg401.pdf

A company has been fined after a worker was fatally electrocuted whilst operating a lorry mounted crane.

Cardiff Crown Court heard how on 17 May 2016, ASL Access Scaffold Limited employee Martin Tilby was fatally electrocuted when the crane he was operating struck an overhead powerline whilst he was unloading materials in a field at Cowbridge, South Glamorgan.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that no risk assessment had been carried out in the field where the incident happened, and no control measures were put in place to prevent contact with the overhead powerlines.

ASL Access Scaffold Limited of Bridgend Industrial Estate, Bridgend was found guilty of breaching Sections 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and LOLER Regulation 8 (1). The company was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of £45,000.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Damian Corbett said: “This death was easily preventable, and the risk should have been identified.  Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from striking overhead powerlines. This death would have been preventable had an effective system for managing unloading materials been in place.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk