Evesham firm fined for worker’s fall through glass roof

An Evesham horticultural nursery has been fined after a worker suffered serious head injuries and fractured his hand when he fell through a glasshouse roof.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Westland Nurseries (Offenham) Ltd following the incident at the company’s premises on 4 December 2009.

Worcester Magistrates’ Court heard how the 21-year-old man, who does not want to be named, was cleaning a valley gutter between two roofs on a glasshouse when he fell about three metres through the glass, landing on a concrete floor.

He suffered concussion with blood on the brain, fractured his hand and sustained other cuts and bruises, and could not work for three months after the incident.

HSE’s investigation into the incident found Westland Nurseries (Offenham) had taken no measures to prevent workers falling from the glasshouse roofs and did not understand the risks involved when working at height.

Read More – http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2012/coi-wm-56212.htm

Scaffolders call for changes to work at height regulations

The scaffolding industry is calling for work at height regulations to be tightened much in the way they are in the gas fitting industry.

The National Access and Scaffolding Confederation (NASC) issued the call in its response to the Lofstedt report, the government-commissioned review of the UK’s health and safety legislation.

The Work at Height Regulations are due to be reviewed by 2013.

To improve safety standards the NASC wants regulations to stipulate that scaffolders are ‘qualified’ rather than ‘competent’, as is currently the case.

Read More – http://www.aviva.co.uk/risksolutions/news/2012/01/11/scaffolders-call-for-changes-to-work-at-height/