Construction company fined after worker left paralysed

A £40,000 fine was issued after a worker fell through a ceiling during a house renovation.

The worker had been installing first-floor joists alone when he slipped and fell from the first to the ground floor of the house.

He spent nearly 5 months in hospital, having sustained serious injuries to his spinal cord which left him paralysed from the chest down.

HSE’s investigation found that:

• the company failed to ensure work at height had been properly planned, and
• no measures had been implemented to prevent falls during the construction of the first floor

Read more in the HSE’s press release: Construction company fined after worker left paralysed.

HSE’s website has detailed guidance on working safely at height.

Don’t risk your company getting in the same situation:

We offer recognised health and safety courses such as  the Qualsafe Level 2 Award in Working at Height (RQF)