A contractor and a director have been prosecuted after a man fell through a lift shaft and died during decommissioning work in London.

T E Scudder Ltd of Great Central Way pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £600,000 with £27,408 in costs.

The Director of Intervale Ltd, Patrick Pearson of Broadway, Leigh on Sea, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. He has been sentenced to 120 hours of community service and ordered to pay £3,000 in costs.

Southwark Crown Court heard how work was being carried out to decommission a lift shaft in a building that was being converted into luxury apartments in London.

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T E Scudder was acting as the principle contractor and employer on site, while Mr Pearson was the contract manager responsible for planning the decommissioning of lift shafts.

While two workers were working on top of a lift car, the supporting chain broke, causing the car to fall to the bottom of the shaft.

One of the men was wearing a harness attached to the top of the lift car. Because he fell in the space between the car and shaft, he survived with serious injuries. The other man was not wearing a harness and died instantly.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the planning and management of the project was inadequate.

HSE Inspector Lisa Chappell said: "The hazards associated with working at height and lifting were not appropriately addressed in the planning stage of this project. Furthermore, those involved in planning the job did not have appropriate training in lifting operations.

"This case highlights the importance of proper planning when working at height. This work must be appropriately supervised and completed by competent people."

(LM/CD)