Worker falls 13m down service shaft

A building company has been fined £20,000 after a worker fell 13 metres down a service shaft while dismantling falsework (a form of temporary structure) in a building that was under construction at Fletcher Development, De Montfort University, Leicester.

36-year-old Pavel Gurgu fell “the height of three double-decker buses on top of each other” in June last year, the court heard.

Mr Gurgu had left the area where he was working to go to a higher part of the site to see his brother Vincentu who was working there. He began sweeping up debris which had collected on top of the hardwood over the service shaft. However the wood gave way and he plummeted to the ground.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 15 June 2015 found that there was an unsafe system of work and inadequate supervision of workers.

David Ashley Construction Limited, of Lydford Road, Alfreton, Derbyshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,776.

Magistrates chairman David Simpson commended the company for its full co-operation and early guilty plea to the charge.

Roy Poulter, for the HSE said: “Mr Gurgu is an exceptionally lucky man, a fall such as this almost always results in a fatality.

“He smashed his upper arm, suffered cuts and bruising, was attended by five surgeons and it is still unknown whether he will recuperate from his injuries.

“His clothes had to be cut away by paramedics and it was fortunate he avoided hitting a red metal gate in the shaft or he might have been cut in half.”

Mr Poulter said the company had received warnings about the particular work being carried out following a similar accident in Sheffield three months earlier.

James Puzey for the company told the court that the managing director, Barry Johnson who was present for the hearing with his son, Carl, the contract manager and daughter Amelia, was deeply upset about the injury.

“He was mortified about it.” he said.

Mr Puzey said the company took the safety of its workers extremely seriously including site-specific risk assessments, daily briefings and weekly toolbox talks.

Working at Height Training

 

Why is training required?

Anybody working at height must comply with the Working at Height Regulations 2005. The Working at Height Regulations stipulate that we must avoid working at height where possible.  Employers must do all that is reasonably practicable to prevent anyone falling.

Every employer shall ensure that no person engages in any activity, including organisation, planning and supervision, in any relation to working at height or work equipment for use in such work unless he is competent to do so or, if being trained, is being supervised by a competent person.

Total Access (UK) Ltd carries out Working at Height training for a wide range of industries: 

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