Two companies fined combined £80,000 after scaffolder falls through skylight in Keighley
The 26 year old worker suffered serious injuries
Two construction companies have been fined a total of £79,300 after a scaffolder was severely injured in a fall through a skylight at a warehouse in Keighley.
James Cranswick, 26, working for Clover Access Systems Limited, suffered broken arm and leg, along with head lacerations, after falling more than six meters onto a concrete floor.
CCTV footage recorded Cranswick falling onto a pallet truck before hitting the floor below.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Clover Access Systems Limited and STM360 Limited failed to adequately plan, manage, and monitor scaffolders' work at the site.
No safety measures were in place to prevent falls from the roof's edge or through fragile roof elements such as skylights, which were nearly invisible to Cranswick.
Clover Access Systems Limited admitted to breaching The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
The firm was fined £26,000 and ordered to pay £2,866 in costs at Leeds Magistrates Court. The company has since entered liquidation.
STM360 Limited admitted to breaching the same guidelines - they were fined £53,300 and ordered to pay £3,167 in costs.
HSE Inspector Shauna Halstead said: "Mr Cranswick is lucky to be alive after this incident."
His fall was wholly avoidable; the risks associated with work on, or around fragile surfaces are well-known, and HSE guidance is available to assist companies in complying with the law.
Everyone working in construction should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take enforcement action where roof work is not properly managed, as workers should not be needlessly put in harm’s way."