Company Fined for Violation of Work at Height Regulations, 2005
Tuesday, April 28th, 2009Due to a recent accident caused because of negligence, Drax Power Ltd. has been ordered to pay £2,000 as fine for not following Regulation 6(3) and Regulation 11(b) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by the Magistrates Court at Selby. In addition, costs amounting to £2,800.20 are also to be paid by the company.
At a unit of Drax Power Ltd. a warning sign for danger had not been put up for an open hole in the walkway, which remained so for 10 days after a floor plate had been removed for cleaning. Even though fixed scaffolding had been put up as a barrier to prevent entry into the area, an employee, not perceiving the danger, entered the area from the main entrance to conduct his periodic tour of plant and machinery. He ended up falling from a height of ten feet and suffered severe injuries that have not allowed him to go back to work since the accident.
Accidents like these, involving fall from a height, are the cause of the largest number of fatalities at a workplace, according to Jacqueline Ferguson, an inspector at the HSE . These accidents can be easily prevented by taking proper safety measures at the earliest possible stage. For example, in this case, Drax Power Ltd. could have prevented the accident by replacing the floor plate after cleaning, which had already concluded ten days before the accident.
Therefore, all works at a height should be considered risky and strict safety and control measures should be put into place. HSE has urged the employers to take precautions by displaying necessary signs to indicate danger at locations such as open gaps or holes in the walkways.
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