Working at height penalty highlights facilities management importance
November 30th 18:00 Health and Safety
An incident in which a worker was severely injured after falling from height has prompted on food retailer to be prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive.
Eat, which operates a chain of food stores across the country, was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500 at the City of London Magistrates Court.
Chirag Ray, 31, of Wembley, suffered numerous injuries when the raised man-riding cage he was working in slipped from a forklift due to it not being properly attached in January 2007
The incident and subsequent penalty may be a warning to those overseeing facilities management in warehouses and HSE inspector Ravi Govin-Pullay noted that falls from height are the most common cause of fatal injuries in the workplace.
"It is important for companies to have the necessary planning and supervision in place to control the risks of injury from working at height," he remarked.
In related news, the HSE recently prosecuted Kent company Bracknell Roofing after employees were seen breaching health and safety regulations when using scaffolding.
