Firm fined after worker falls from inadequate scaffold

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A solar panel installation company has been fined after a worker fell and sustained life-changing injuries while carrying materials up onto the roof.

The worker, employed by Everyone’s Energy UK Limited, had been installing solar panels on the roof of a house on Pentland Avenue in Thornbury, South Gloucestershire when he fell three metres on 4 July 2022.

It is believed the 41-year-old had been carrying materials up a ladder when he fell.

He landed at the foot of the ladder and suffered a fractured skull, leading to a severe brain injury. He is now unable to walk or talk.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found Everyone’s Energy UK Limited had failed to properly plan, manage, and monitor the work at height. The company had not provided adequate scaffolding around the roof and there was no appropriate means to raise the materials onto the roof.

HSE guidance states that employers and self-employed contractors must assess the risks, take precautions and issue clear method statements for everyone who will work at height. More on this can be found at: Construction – Working at height industry health & safety (hse.gov.uk)

Everyone’s Energy UK Limited, of Old London Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 . The company was fined £28,000 and ordered to pay £6,634.56 in costs at Bristol Magistrates’ Court on 12 March 2024.

HSE inspector Ian Whittles said: “This serious incident could have been avoided if the employer had acted to identify and control the risks involved and provided a safe means of getting the materials onto the roof.”