Liverpool firm fined £15,000 after fall from height

A Liverpool construction firm has been fined £15,000 after failing to implement safe systems for working at height.

The prosecution followed the HSE’s investigation of an accident in July 2006 when a 22-year-old concrete layer fell 4m through a hole into the well of a lift shaft.

J&D Property Services of Breck Road, Liverpool pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety regulations. It was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £5,000 in costs.

The investigation found that a hole into the well of the shaft was not covered securely and the edges were inadequately protected.

HSE served a prohibition notice which required the company to stop work until it put edge protection in place.

But it was forced to serve a second prohibition notice in September 2006.

HSE inspector Sarah Wadham said: "J & D Property Services Limited placed its employees at risk by not taking reasonable precautions to prevent accidents while working at height.

"The company failed to manage the site properly, sent an unsupervised apprentice to carry out work to protect the voids and exposed many workers to risks from falling through a lift shaft opening which was inadequately protected."