A Salford-based construction firm has been fined after an employee suffered severe burns to his knees after kneeling in wet concrete.

DLP Services (Northern) Limited of Cobden Street, Brindle Heath Industrial Estate, Pendleton, Salford, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 22 (1)(c) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and Regulation 7(1) of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations.

It was fined £14,000 with nearly £1,600 in costs.

Sefton Magistrates' Court heard the 54-year-old employee kneeled in wet concrete to manually finish the concrete flooring being laid in a domestic bungalow on 26 November 2014.

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The cement burns to both his knees resulted in 12 days hospitalisation and ongoing treatment.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered the firm had failed to adequately assess the risks and implement suitable and sufficient control measures to protect employees from contact of the wet concrete with the skin.

In addition, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was not provided and there were no welfare facilities on site.

Previously, the company had been served with HSE Improvement Notices for lack of welfare facilities in June and September 2014.

HSE inspector Anne Foster said: "The injuries the employee suffered were entirely foreseeable and avoidable had the company implemented suitable controls, such as the use of long-handled tools, or the provision of suitable chemical resistant PPE. It is also wholly unreasonable to expect workers to travel four miles to find welfare facilities."

(LM/MH)