Risk news

A Scottish housebuilder has been fined £4,000 following an incident which led to an apprentice suffering head and leg injuries.

The 17-year-old joiner was working on a Scotia Homes site in Laurencekirk when the accident occurred in October 2009.

He fell into what was effectively an unprotected stairwell and landed on a concrete floor almost nine feet below.

The only indication of risk was a plywood sheet across the stairwell entrance, but it had neither guards nor edge protection.

Scotia Homes (North) Limited admitted a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Stonehaven Sheriff Court and was fined £4,000, following a £2,000 reduction for its early guilty plea.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Alan McKinnon said the incident demonstrated the dangers of falls from height and served as a reminder to building companies that such problems can easily be avoided.

"Risks from working at height are entirely preventable. Employers working at height need to ensure that risks are fully assessed and that open edged areas of work are suitably guarded," he explained.

Statistics published by the HSE illustrate how expensive slips, trips and falls in the workplace can be, with businesses in Aberdeenshire alone losing more than 260 working days due to such incidents in 2008-09.

Our hardfacts information sheets includes a series providing comprehensive guidance on safety.