Contractor fined after unfixed void cover moved during concrete pour
Bowmer and Kirkland Limited has been fined after a workman was seriously injured when he fell through a void at Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, Edinburgh in May 2014.
Edinburgh Sheriff Court heard how the worker, employed by a sub-contractor, was involved in pouring concrete onto the first floor of a building under construction.
The employee was walking across a floor that was under construction when his “boot caught” and he tripped. In doing so he dislodged an unsecured wooden board which had been placed over the void and exposed an opening of 2m x 1m.
He fell approximately 4.5m through opening and sustained serious injuries to his back and a fractured foot.
The workman remained away from work for twenty-two weeks and suffers continuing pain. He has reduced mobility, finding it difficult to walk or sit for long periods.
<span style;"="">Void covers should be fixed
HSE investigators found that the company failed to take suitable and sufficient measures by not fixing the wooden panels placed on the void to prevent a fall.
Bowmer and Kirkland Limited, of High Edge Court, Church Street, Heage, Belper, Derbyshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulation 2005 and was fined £6,600.
Guardrails Edge Protection
Our range of collective fall protection measures include guardrails these are designed to completely remove the risk of a fall from height and comply with all relevant British and European standards. The Working at Height Regulations 2005 state that collective systems must be given priority over personal protective systems wherever possible.
Our Guardrail has been specifically designed to provide permanent edge protection where regular access for maintenance and inspections is required. The system's design provides permanent edge protection without the need to mechanically fix the system through the roofing membrane or building's structure.
Topfix guardrails for metal profile and standing seam roofs can also be installed around rooftop vents.
