INQUEST: FALL FROM MEWP REMAINS MYSTERY

Coroner hears how builder fell to his death on Lancs building site

It has been reported by the Lancashire Telegraph that an inquest has heard how a builder fell to his death while working on a “site which had no safety regulations in place”.

Father-of-two Ivars Bahamis suffered fatal head injuries when he fell some 10m from a platform at a former Blackburn mill. The Blackburn Coroner heard Mr Bahamis used a scissor lift when he fell from the platform and was pronounced dead at the scene. It was unclear what caused him to fall.

HSE is said to be “now set to consider the verdict when deciding whether to take any further action against the contractor Tameem Shafi”. Reading out the jury’s judgement, coroner Michael Singleton said:

“Ivars Bahamis fell from the mill roof while working onto the mill floor and to his death. He was working without any risk assessment, method statements, safety equipment or safe method of working.”

Summing up Mr Singleton said there were two possible explanations as to how My Bahamis fell. He said:

“The one thing that everybody is agreed upon is that the support legs on the scissor lift were engaged. In which case, there was no limit as to how high the platform could go and it is highly illogical that if you could take the platform higher, you would then choose to get greater elevation by standing on the rail.

That being the case, it seems to me that essentially there are only two explanations – that Mr Bahamis is stood on top of the wall and it is from that he falls or he is trying to go from the scissor lift itself onto the wall or the other way around.”

This article was posted on 5th December 2013 in ALL LATEST NEWS, INCIDENTS, MEWPS.
PP Construction Safety H&S Assistance and Consultancy service.

Construction Health & Safety News, Advice and Information from PP Construction Safety

INQUEST: FALL FROM MEWP REMAINS MYSTERY

Coroner hears how builder fell to his death on Lancs building site

Latest Construction Health and Safety News

TOWER CRANE OUT OF SERVICE SAFETY ALERT

Important advice from Construction Plant-hire Association and HSE

FRAGILE ROOF REPLACEMENT PUT WORKERS IN DANGER

Measures to prevent falling from or through the roof were missing

WORKMAN FELL FROM EDGE OF MEZZANINE FLOOR

Edge protection was absent and workman untrained for the task

HSE PLAN AND CONSTRUCTION PRIORITIES 2020/21

Appointed CDM 2015 Principal Designers remain focus of HSE inspections

COVID-19 ADVICE & GUIDANCE FOR CONSTRUCTION

BuildUK support industry with advice, guidance and information

LATEST HSE CONVICTIONS AND NOTICES REGISTERS

View current online HSE registers of prosecution convictions and notices

POORLY DESIGNED SCHOOL GATE CRUSHED CHILD

Sliding gate over-run mechanism proved insufficiently robust

POWER GENERATOR PROSECUTED OVER UNSAFE SYSTEM

Maintenance workers seriously injured when energy suddenly released

CEILING BELOW SAVES WORKMAN IN ROOFLIGHT FALL

Roofworker fell through roof after stepping on fragile rooflight

INEXPERIENCED WORKER FELL THROUGH OPENING

No physical protection or warning of opening and fragile covering

CDM PRINCIPAL DESIGNER IN COURT OVER FIRE RISK

Designers and contractor prosecuted for risk management failings

PRISON SENTENCE FOR RECALCITRANT DIRECTOR

Prohibition and improvement notices ignored and danger persisted

TEMPORARY WORKS HOARDING FELL ON PEDESTRIAN

Member of the public struck when site fence collapsed suddenly

CHILD FATALLY INJURED BY UNSECURED POLE

Pole stored on embankment moved and trapped boy against fencing

OWNER RESPONSE TO HSE INSPECTION ENDED IN COURT

Police uphold HSE right to inspect without threats, aggression or abuse

HSE TARGETING WELDING FUME CANCER RISK

Inspections to enforce improved controls required by new risk evidence

CONTRACTOR FAILED TO REPLACE MISSING PROTECTION

Painter and decorator fractured hip in fall from landing

RISK OF DERMATITIS SUFFICIENT FOR PROSECUTION

Company failed to implement controls and surveillance required by COSHH

COSHH FAILINGS CAUSE ASTHMA AND PROVE COSTLY

Uncontrolled exposure to isocyanates during paint spraying operations

POLICE EMPLOYEE SHOCKED BY DATA CABLE WORK

South Wales Force fined over electric shock from ceiling void cable

COLLAPSE OF PUMP SET TRAPPED WORKMAN

Unsafe system of work transferring from pallet to a raised platform

MODIFIED PODIUM STEPS CAUSE FALL FROM HEIGHT

Firm failed to select and correctly assemble with necessary training

SCHOOL LACKED SAFE SYSTEM FOR ROOF RETRIEVAL

Workman fell from roof whilst retrieving shoe of pupil

ARM OF WORKMAN AMPUTATED IN CONVEYOR

Major construction materials supplier fined heavily over unsafe system

CONCRETE BLOCK PLANT GUARDING BREACHED

Sections of machinery perimeter safety fencing missing for months

News Archives