![PP Construction Safety logo and link to home page [1]](http://www.ppconstructionsafety.com/wp-content/themes/ppcs960/images/ppcslogo.jpg)
MAJOR CONTRACTOR PROSECUTED OVER LIFTING OPERATION
Scaffold pole fell when hoisted during lift installation on major project
Hoistway Ltd and Miller Construction (UK) Ltd have been ordered to pay over £150,000 in fines and prosecution costs after a Bristol man suffered severe head injuries when he was struck by scaffold tube falling from 15 storeys.
Richard Chodkiewicz, aged 53, was working on a lift installation at the construction site for a new Radisson Blu hotel in Marsh Street, Bristol, when the incident happened on 22 July 2008.
Three workmen were working on the lift installation. Mr Chodkiewicz and a colleague were at the bottom of the shaft and a third man was positioned at the eighteenth story hoisting a 7lb scaffold tube secured to a length of piano wire up the shaft.
The tube had reached the 15th floor, when the piano wire became untied and the tube fell striking Mr Chodkiewicz on his head. He survived, but has suffered permanent brain damage as a result of his injuries.
Effective arrangements required to prevent work below loads
HSE investigators found that Hoistway Ltd and Miller Construction (UK) Ltd failed to ensure that a safe system of working was in place for the installation of lifts on the site. There had been inadequate site management and insufficient risk assessments carried out before the work was undertaken. Openings had been left unguarded and not enough had been done on the site to prevent the risk of falling objects.
Hoistway Ltd, based in Martock, Somerset, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £70,000 with £14,616 costs. Miller Construction (UK) Ltd, based in Edinburgh, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the same Act and was fined £40,000 plus £17,232 costs
After the hearing, Steve Frain, HSE Inspector, said:
“The contractors involved should have had effective arrangements in place to ensure that Mr Chodkiewicz was not in the bottom of the lift shaft while anything was being raised or lowered.
Even a smaller object falling on him from that height could have killed him or his colleagues. As it was, he was struck with such force by the pole that he now has severe brain damage and requires 24-hour care.”
Latest Construction Health and Safety News
ROOF COLLAPSED UNDER EXCESS LOADING
Director and company fined over roof design failures
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 11th November 2018FORK LIFT OVERTURNED IN SCAFFOLDING YARD
Untrained operator suffered life changing crush injuries
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 10th November 2018STRUCTURAL SAFETY ALERT: EFFECTS OF SCALE
SCOSS issues alert after concerns disclosed over ‘large structures’
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018ASBESTOS EXPOSED BY UNTRAINED WORKERS
Contractor failed to act properly despite HSE intervention
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018GAS MAIN STRIKE REPAIR CAUSED SEVERE BURNS
Contractor excavator damage to gas pipe ends in £1.2m fine
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018REBAR FELL FROM FLT IN UNSAFE LIFTING OPERATION
Multiple fractures caused by inappropriate use of fork lift
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018HSE ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY UPDATE 7th NOV 2018
Prosecutions and enforcement notices register latest version
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 7th November 2018POORLY PLANNED LIFT DISMANTLE INJURED WORKMAN
Counterweight or suspension rope struck worker in lift shaft
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 1st November 2018CONSTRUCTION INJURY AND ILL-HEALTH 2017/18
Fatal injury rate in long term decline whilst ill-health trend flat lining
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 1st November 2018DUMPER DRIVEN INTO OPEN UNGUARDED EXCAVATION
Contractor fined over absence of suitable excavation / dumper precautions
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 1st November 2018DEATH FAILED TO TRIGGER PREVENTIVE ACTION
Prison term for director whilst his company ordered to pay £3/4m
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 29th October 2018FAILURE TO MAINTAIN GUARDS PROVES COSTLY
Woodworking machinery defective despite previous HSE advice
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 26th October 2018CISRS LAUNCH SYSTEM SCAFFOLD INSPECTION COURSES
Training courses prompted by growing use of system scaffolding
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 25th October 2018HSE INSPECTS CLADDING REMOVAL AND REPLACEMENT
Advice to Inspectors published on fire risk during work on tall buildings
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 25th October 2018HIGHWAYS, RAIL AND WATER HEALTH & SAFETY HUBS
Websites provide useful information, alerts and tools
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2018ELIMINATING CONCRETE DRILLING VIBRATION HAZARD
Cutting specialist innovation avoids vibration exposure management
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2018NEW MEWP WORK AT HEIGHT RESCUE GUIDANCE
Industry body publishes simple guidance on MEWP stranding actions
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2018HSE PUBLISH RIDDOR DATA VISUALISATION TOOL
Construction injury records made more relevant and easily used
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 24th October 2018COUNCIL OVERLOOKED ICE RINK SLIPPING RISK
Obvious risk of employees falling on ice rink was left uncontrolled
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 22nd October 2018STRUCTURAL SAFETY BODY LATEST NEWSLETTER
CROSS publishes reports and expert comment on a range of issues
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 22nd October 2018YOUNG WORKER FELL FROM PETROL STATION CANOPY
Steel fabricator after young construction worker falls on first day at work
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th October 2018FIRM FINED OVER FAILURE AT ASSESS VIBRATION RISK
Vibration regulations not acted upon until seven years in operation
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 18th October 2018FAILURE TO ISOLATE LEAVES WORKMAN PARALYSED
Conveyor guards removed before power source isolated
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 16th October 2018TRADING STANDARDS AND HSE ACT IN CONCERT
Director given prison term over fraud and health and safety breaches
Read the rest of this article »
Posted on 15th October 2018BUILDER ERROR CAUSED FALL OF RESIDENT
Director prosecuted over refurb project danger to others
Posted on 12th October 2018
September 7th, 2011 at 10:56 am
[…] Hoistway Ltd – head injuries caused by falling object in lift shaft: £70,000 […]
September 7th, 2011 at 10:56 am
[…] Hoistway Ltd – head injuries caused by falling object in lift shaft: £70,000 […]