A glazing company was fined £36,000 and ordered to pay a further £1,386 costs after it was prosecuted by the HSE for serious health and safety breaches. While no-one was actually injured as a result of the negligence, this case goes to show that cases like this can be brought in time to avoid injuries, rather than just to mop up after them.
The HSE carried out an investigation after reports were made from members of the public regarding workers installing windows 8 metres above the ground without any kind of safety equipment, railing, or protection for either those working at height or those beneath.
The company had not installed any scaffolding that could have prevented the workers or windows falling to the ground. Neither had the risks for the job been suitably assessed. The court heard that no risk assessment had been carried out for the job, and the health and safety management system in place within the company was sadly lacking; it relied entirely on the managing director of the company, despite the fact that he had no suitable training or relevant experience on the field.
According to the HSE; ‘This company put the lives of workers and members of the public at risk. People should be able to walk down a pavement without being exposed to the risk of a heavy window falling eight metres on to them. This is a case where equipment such as scaffolding was not provided. It is vital that law-abiding companies have confidence they will not lose work to others who under-quote them because they take shortcuts at the expense of safety.’
Health and safety law is there to protect workers and the public alike. If the company you work for doesn’t take the health and safety of its workers seriously you should let someone know – ideally the HSE – straight away. If you have been injured as a result of health and safety breaches in your workplace then you should contact one of our highly trained solicitors. They have years of experience in dealing with these types of cases and will swiftly be able to tell you if they think you have a case. Contact us today to receive the compensation that you deserve.