Firm in court after routine inspection reveals unsafe work at height

Firm in court after routine inspection reveals unsafe work at height

A construction company with a record of endangering the lives of its workers has been fined after the Health and Safety Executive found once again it was putting workers at serious risk of falling from height.

Inspectors who paid a routine visit to AM Construction Ltd’s site in Tildasley Street, West Bromwich, on 15 May 2014 found men working on the first floor without scaffolding, edge protection, airbags or other fall prevention or mitigation measures.

A Prohibition Notice – the company’s ninth in ten years and the eighth relating to work at height – was served by HSE halting all work at height immediately.

Today (20 Jan) at Black Country Magistrates’ Court, AM Construction Ltd, of Kingshill Avenue, Hayes, Middlesex, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £5,300 and ordered to pay £1,157 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Gareth Langston said:

“Work at height is the biggest cause of death in the workplace and remains a priority area for HSE. When companies regularly fall below the minimum legal standards and repeatedly ignore advice prosecution is inevitable.

“AM Construction Ltd has become a repeat offender in ignoring HSE’s advice and failing in its duty to ensure the safety of its workforce. It is extremely lucky that no-one was killed or hurt.”

Information about safe working at height can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/