Migrant worker fall
A court has heard that a horticultural nursery had no measures in place to prevent workers falling from glasshouse roofs and did not understand the risks involved when working at height.
The HSE prosecuted Westland Nurseries (Offenham) Ltd following an incident at its facility in Evesham, Worcestershire on 4 December 2009. One of its employees, Radi Radev, 21, was cleaning a gutter between two roofs on a glasshouse, when he lost his balance and fell through the glass. He landed on a concrete floor three metres below.
Mr Radev suffered a concussion with blood on the brain, and a fractured hand. He was unable to work for three months owing to his injuries and has subsequently returned to his home country of Bulgaria.
The HSE’s investigation learned that Mr Radev had been standing in a valley gutter without any measures in place to prevent him from falling. He had received inadequate training, which was delivered by an employee who was not trained in working at height.??
On 3 February 2010, the HSE issued an Improvement Notice to the company, which required a safe system of work to be created. HSE inspector Chris Gregory told SHP that the incident could have been avoided if the company had provided a lightweight balancing frame, which places a cage around the worker to prevent them from falling.
Inspector Gregory said: “Every year, people are seriously injured as a result of falling through glasshouse roofs on to wires, hooks, staging, or the ground, and from being cut by glass. However, the vast majority of these incidents can be avoided with proper planning.??
"Companies must make sure they understand the risks involved in working at height and take suitable measures to prevent workers from falling, such as installing lightweight balancing frames. ??
"It’s unacceptable that Westland Nurseries (Offenham) Ltd failed to do this and a man was seriously injured as a result.”
Westland Nurseries appeared at Worcester Magistrates’ Court on 5 January and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £6835 in costs.
In mitigation, the company said it only carried out the cleaning task on an intermittent basis and, as a result, it had failed to assess the risks involved. It has subsequently purchased a lightweight balancing frame and hires a telehandler with a man-riding cage to lift workers up to the roofs. It has also provided work-at-height training for staff.
