Powys developer fined after serious injury
Posted: January 29, 2013
Posted in: Falls from Heights Workplace Injuries
A site developer from Powys has been fined after a contractor suffered major internal injuries when he fell through a floor and was hit by a falling concrete slab.
Caernarfon Crown Court heard that Andrew Wilding and his colleague were using pneumatic drills to break up an unsupported concrete floor on the first storey of a former hospital outbuilding being converted into residential accommodation.
During the breaking work, the floor split and both men fell through to the ground below. A section of the broken floor slab fell on Mr Wilding, causing life-threatening internal injuries.
The HSE investigation discovered the defendant had failed to ensure the safety of workers by not properly planning structural work at an early stage.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Wilcox said:
“People carrying out building refurbishment must ensure that structural work is properly planned and advice sought from a competent person, for example a structural engineer, at an early stage.
“The consequences in failing to recognise the risks inherent in this type of work can be significant. This was a major incident that could easily have been fatal.”
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