Following our blog post on the Ladder Association and the HSE’s new guidance, we read a report of a serious ladder accident. SHP (Safety and Health Practioner) reports that:

“Montracon Limited has been fined for safety breaches after a worker suffered head injuries after falling from a stepladder.

The 57-year-old worker was cleaning the cant rail of a curtain side trailer that had just been manufactured, Sheffield Magistrates’ Court was told.

Whilst using stepladders positioned on top of the trailer to reach the work the employee pulled the steps further down the trailer to clean the next section. As he climbed up the steps they started to wobble causing him to fall out of the trailer onto the floor, landing on his head.

The HSE’s investigation found that there was no ladder inspection regime in place and the equipment being used was not in good working order.

Montracon Limited of Carr Hill Doncaster West Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £172,500.00 and ordered to pay £12,202.69 in costs.”

Once again a worker is seriously injured falling off a defective step ladder. This, and accidents like it, can so easily be avoided. Employers must implement the regulations, or face a huge work accident payout. It’s absolutely right that companies should be held to account and workers, who are injured due to work accidents (that aren’t their fault), are duly compensated.

If you believe you have grounds for a work accident claim, please talk to our Personal Injury Team.