Construction Company Fined After Worker Fell From Ladder During Refurbishment

Brief Summary

A construction worker suffered multiple serious injuries after falling from a stepladder while helping build temporary formwork for a new concrete staircase. HSE found there was no safe system of work for working at height, and that wider controls were inadequate and had not improved after a previous Prohibition Notice.

What Was The Incident?

On 5 August 2021, during refurbishment works in Islington, the worker was instructed to build temporary timber formwork. He was standing on the top of a stepladder and using a gas powered nail gun when he fell about 1.65 metres to the floor below.

What Was The Outcome?

The Company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay £4,101 in costs. HSE reported the company had previously been served with a Prohibition Notice for unsafe work at height.

What Lessons Can Be Learnt?

Put a safe system of work in place for working at height. HSE concluded the company failed to implement a safe system of work for height related tasks during the staircase construction, leading to the fatal risk of a fall.

Control edge protection and access arrangements on stair and landing works. HSE identified staircases without edge protection, showing that physical safeguards and layout decisions must be addressed as part of the work plan, not treated as optional.

Ensure scaffold and temporary structure are correctly assembled. The investigation found tower scaffolds were incorrectly assembled. Temporary structures used for work at height must be assembled properly and checked before use.

Avoid uncontrolled ladder use for tasks that require stability. HSE identified uncontrolled ladder use. In this case the worker was standing on the top of a stepladder, which left him exposed when the task was being carried out.

Treat Prohibition Notices as a trigger for immediate and lasting change. The failings continued despite an HSE visit on 2 July 2021 when a Prohibition Notice was served. Enforcement action should lead to a thorough review of work at height controls and their implementation across the site.

HSE Prosecution Link