Shopfitter fined £20,000 for Enfield Shopping Centre fall

A shopfitting firm has been fined £20,000 after a man working on the construction of Enfield Shopping Centre fell 3m onto a concrete floor.

The worker was on a mobile tower scaffold that did not have the correct edge protection when he fell on 15 September 2005 while fitting ductwork for a shop.

E & F Joinery, from Hailsham in East Sussex, pleaded guilty at the Old Bailey to three health and safety breaches over the accident.

Although the man wasn’t directly employed by the firm, it still copped a £20,000 fine and was instructed to pay costs of £11,895.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said the man suffered serious head injuries in the accident, which had led to physical and mental health problems.

HSE inspector Helen Donnelly said the accident was easily preventable and that the scaffold should have been inspected before use.

“Companies involved in refurbishment, building or maintenance should ensure that the work is planned properly and sensible measures take so that workers are not exposed to risk,” she said.

“This case graphically illustrates that work should be planned, and that scaffolding should be checked to have the adequate edge protection.”