Two companies have been fined after a worker fell from a building ledge at a construction site in Bournemouth.

Parsons and Joyce Contractors Limited (P&J), of Ashley Road, Poole, Dorset, pleaded guilty to offences under Regulation 22(1)(a) and 22(2)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. It was fined £20,000 with £9,953 in costs.

GFT Frames Limited (GFT), of Vantage Way, Poole, Dorset, pleaded guilty to an offence under Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The company was fined £6,000 with costs of £9,953.

Bournemouth Magistrates' Court heard how an employee of GFT was installing glazed units in a block of flats, in which P&J was acting as principal contractor, at Western Avenue on 03 November 2014.

-- Advertisement --

Darren Shepherd, 54, was an employee of GFT and had been carrying window frames through the stairwell of the block of flats under construction.

There were no stairs in place, just a ledge which was part of the structure that would act as a landing half way up the stairs once they were installed.

After completing the unloading all the frames, Mr Sheppard and a colleague were accessing the first floor, up through the void.

As Mr Sheppard climbed onto the first floor from the ledge, he slipped, falling approximately 1.7 metres back to the landing and then a further 1.3 metres to the ground floor.

His injuries included two fractured ribs and a broken thumb.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found GFT had failed to properly plan, supervise or carry out the work at height in a safe manner.

In addition, it concluded P&J had failed to plan, manage and monitor the construction phase, as well as fail to provide workers with a site induction.

(LM)