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Joiner avoids death after fall through poorly protected floor opening

City Building (Glasgow) LLP has been fined £20k after an apprentice joiner was severely injured when he fell 4m through a floor opening.

Loose sheets of plywood placed over the opening gave way on the upper floor of a new primary School being built in the Arden area of Glasgow in June 2007.

The floor opening had not been suitably protected by either robust edge protection or properly supported and fixed boarding. 

HSE Inspector Annette Leppla said:“This accident was entirely foreseeable and preventable. The worker was severely injured because his employer failed to do enough about the risks associated with working at height.

It was down to chance alone that this incident did not result in a permanent injury or even fatality.

For a period of several days, floor openings had been left just covered with loose sheets of plywood which were totally unsuitable for that purpose.”

This article was posted on 12th September 2009 in ALL LATEST NEWS, PROSECUTIONS, falls other.
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