A company has been fined after an electrician died in fall of approximately eight metres when an access panel on the raised walkway of an overhead crane gave way beneath him. Teesside Crown Court heard that on 25 October 2016, whilst working at Cleveland Bridge UK Limited’s site in Yarm Road, Darlington, electrician Keith Poppleton was repairing wiring that had been causing a short circuit on the lifting equipment of a large overhead gantry crane, known as C25. As he was walking along the crane’s walkway, an access panel gave way beneath his feet, causing him to fall through to the ground below. 

Watch -> the Top 10 health & safety prosecutions of 2021

2021 saw some huge fines for the likes of Vue Entertainment, Drayton Manor, British Airways and NHS Trust, a £4m fine for National Grid and a £6.5m fine following the death of an 11-year-old boy at a freight terminal.

Developer Peel L&P has appointed Graham to build the first major housing phase of its planned Northbank neighbourhood at Wirral Waters.  Construction work will begin this spring on the £130m project, known as Wirral Waters One, set to be the biggest single development at Wirral Waters so far.

Three managers at midlands metal recycling firm Alutrade have admitted health and safety offences over an incident in which a worker died, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.  Alutrade as a company has admitted corporate manslaughter.  Stuart Towns, 35, died after being struck from above while working at Alutrade’s site in Oldbury on 24 July 2017.

Health and safety specialist, Arco, has opened a new Safety Centre in Trafford Park, Manchester, providing both safety training and essential kit in one facility.

A scaffolding contractor has been fined after a worker fell from height resulting in serious injuries.  Darren Barnett was dismantling temporary over-roof scaffolding at a site in Hailsham, East Sussex, when he fell through the scaffolding landing on to the roof of the property below, before rolling down and on to the ground, Brighton Magistrates Court was told. Mr Barnett fell approximately eight meters in total and sustained two brain haemorrhages, six vertebra fractures, a fractured shoulder blade and multiple rib fractures in the incident, which happened on 15 August 2019.

Christopher Paul Sharpe, partner in J H Sharp and Son, has been sentenced for safety breaches after an 83-year-old man was fatally attacked by cattle.  Leeds Magistrates’ Court heard how on 30 May 2020, David Tinniswood and his wife were attacked by cattle whilst following a public right of way across Ivescar Farm at Chapel-Le–Dale in Carnforth.

A roofing contractor has been sentenced after an unpaid casual labourer fell through a skylight during the renovation of an old asbestos cement roof, at an industrial building in Exeter.  Plymouth Magistrates’ Court heard that on 23 October 2018, the labourer, who wanted to gain industry experience having never previously worked on roofs, was instructed by Ian Davey (trading as Exe Fibreglass) to cut fibreglass for the roof of the building.

A plant hire company has been fined for leaving workers at risk of a fall from height and failing to provide minimum welfare facilities.  Blackpool Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 17 November 2020, Ruttle Plant (Birmingham) Ltd was in the process of building a new aggregate recycling facility at their site at Common Bank Lane, Chorley.

A builder has been prosecuted after his employees were exposed to asbestos while refurbishing domestic premises in Barnsdale Road, Reading.  Reading Magistrates’ Court heard how Kieran Lynch, trading as Lynch and Co, was contracted to carry out a largescale refurbishment for his client who had recently purchased the property from their local council. Prior to the project commencing, the owner of the property informed Mr Lynch that the ceiling boards in the garage contained asbestos.