June 10, 2021
A company director has been fined for safety breaches after a 17-year-old worker fell from a mezzanine floor to the ground below.
On 28 February 2019, the worker and two others were building the mezzanine floor at a site in Neepsend Lane, Sheffield. The injured person stepped on to a loose board and fell 2.8 metres to the ground below. He suffered cuts and bruises.
Investigating, the HSE found that safety nets had not been put in place before boarding commenced. No other fall from height protection was present to prevent or mitigate falls through the mezzanine floor.
Wayne McKnight (trading as RJE Construction) Park Crescent, Sunningdale, Ascot, Berkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2015. Mr McKnight was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,300
After the hearing, HSE inspector Sarah Robinson commented: “Falls from height often result in life-changing or fatal injuries, which thankfully did not eventuate here. In most cases, these incidents are needless and could be prevented by properly planning the work to ensure that effective preventative and protective measures are in place.
“This incident could have easily been prevented if the company had installed safety nets prior to work starting on the mezzanine.”
This is valid as of 10th June 2021.
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