A Nottingham subcontractor has been prosecuted after a worker fell from an unsafe ladder and sustained injuries…
Subcontractor Hardev Gutheran Singh was prosecuted after 57-year-old Charanjit Singh fell from a ladder. The employee was undertaking refurbishment work at a site in North Somercotes, Louth. He was painting a metal roof strut more than three metres high when the ladder he was using gave way.
The man fell to the concrete floor below and sustained significant injuries including a dislocated shoulders and a shattered knee.
Lincoln Crown Court heard Singh spent ten days in hospital and had to have a knee replacement. He was left unable to work due to mobility problems and pain from the injury.
Following an investigation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) it was found the aluminium ladder was poorly maintained. It was missing a non-slip foot and another was damaged. One of the rungs was also broken.
Hardev Gutheran Singh was ordered to complete 180 hours community service after being found guilty of breaching regulation 7(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Martin Waring said: “Falls from height are the biggest cause of death and serious injury in the construction industry. It is essential that equipment with the proper fall protection measures are provided to prevent incidents of this kind.
“The condition of the ladder was such that it should never have been used. Other more suitable equipment which was readily available on the site, such as a tower scaffold, this was not considered for this task by Hardev Singh and as a result, a man suffered major injuries that have had a significant impact on the rest of his life.”
Guidance on how to ensure safety measures are in place while working at height can be found here: http://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/workingatheight.htm
