West Yorkshire housebuilder fined after worker suffers spinal injuries following fall
Dad of one Joseph Tuck suffered life chaning injuries in the fall in Sowerby Bridge.
A West Yorkshire housebuilder has been fined around £300,000 after a dad of one fell through a stairwell opening and suffered serious spinal injuries.
Hillbeck Homes, of Sowerby Bridge, was taken to court by the Health and Safety Executive after 24 year old Joseph Tuck was seriously injured at a site in January 2024.
In only his second week on the job Mr Tuck stepped backwards into the unprotected opening, where a staircase was due to be installed, falling onto the concrete below.
He suffered spinal injuries which left him unable to return to a physical job.
The Health and Safety Inspectorate (HSI) found that Hillbeck Homes (Sowerby Bridge) Ltd had failed to put adequate measures in place to prevent falls from height.
The company has been handed a £300,000 at Leeds Magistrates' Court and ordered to pay over £9,000 in costs.
HSE Inspector Louise Redgrove said: “Falls from height remain one of the leading causes of death in the construction industry, accounting for around a quarter of all fatal injuries to workers each year.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident caused by basic failures in planning and supervision. The stairwell opening was not adequately protected, and simple measures such as securing the scaffold boards or installing edge protection would have prevented Mr Tuck from falling and sustaining serious spinal injuries.
“This fine should serve as a clear reminder to the construction industry that both the courts and HSE take breaches of health and safety law extremely seriously.
“HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action where employers fail to take the necessary steps to protect workers from harm.”