Lancashire businessman in court after worker breaks back

Published HSE:  February 2011

A Lancashire businessman has been sentenced after one of his employees broke his back when he fell off a ladder.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the businessman following the incident on 3 March 2010.

South Ribble Magistrates' Court heard that the man, who has asked not to be named, had climbed up a ladder at the commercial vehicle garage to reach the release mechanism for a lorry cab.

The employee fell to the ground when the ladder slipped, causing him to break a vertebrae in his spine. He is still unable to return to work, nearly a year after the incident.

The HSE investigation found the ladder had missing feet at both ends, the bottom rung was damaged and it appeared to have been cut off at the top.

The employer admitted breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 by failing to make sure the ladder was well maintained. He was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay prosecution costs of £2,000 on 2 February 2011.

Matt Lea, the investigating inspector at HSE, said:

"One of the employees was badly injured because he was given an unsafe ladder to use. It should have been checked in advance to make sure it was suitable.

"The employee had not received any training on working at height or with ladders, despite regularly needing to do it as part of his job. He therefore simply used the nearest available ladder.

"Sadly, this worker is just one of hundreds of people who are injured every year as a result of falling from ladders. Falling a short distance can still result in someone being seriously injured."

On average, 12 people a year die after falling from ladders in British workplaces, and more than 1,200 suffer major injuries. Information on working safely with ladders is available at this link.

Notes to editors

• The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to prevent 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
• Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 states: "Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is maintained in an efficient state, in efficient working order and in good repair."

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