NEWS BUILDER SENTENCED AFTER
TIMBER FALLS ON TODDLER A self-employed builder has been given a suspended jail sentence after a three-year-old girl suffered severe head injuries when a length of timber fell on her whilst being hoisted up the outside of a scaffold.
On the 6 July 2018, the girl, and her mother, who was pushing her daughter in a buggy, were walking along Preston Street in Brighton. As they passed scaffolding, erected on the pavement for refurbishment work to a flat above, the length of timber fell from approximately ten metres in height striking the girl on the head.
The three-year-old suffered life changing injuries. While she has made a significant progress, it is not yet known whether she will make a full recovery.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the builder in control of the works was Grzegorz Glowacki, who had tied the length
DOUBLE PROSECUTION AFTER FATAL EXPOSURE TO TOXIC
SUBSTANCE A supplier and a flooring company have both been sentenced following the death of a floor layer in London.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court heard that on 4 September 2015, 30-year-old Paul Tilcock was found deceased by the owner of house in Mitcham on the bathroom floor. The adhesive used to fix the flooring contained a large amount of toxic substance.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that T Brown Group Ltd had not implemented any systems or procedures adequately to control the risks to its employees from working in an enclosed space with a substance known to be hazardous to health, namely dichloromethane. The decision on whether to wear respiratory protection (face masks) or on what type of respiratory protection should be used was left up to employees. When Mr Tilcock’s body was found he was wearing a completely ineffectual face mask.
of timber to a rope for lifting up the outside of the scaffold using a pulley system. However, the knot used was not suitable, and the timber slipped out, falling to the ground, but there was no exclusion zone in place to prevent persons being underneath the load, in case of such a problem.
Mr. Glowacki of Rugby Road, Brighton, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8 (1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to six months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, plus 220 hours of unpaid work. He was also ordered to repay full costs of £5727.92.
Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Stephen Green said: “This horrendous incident would have been the last thing on the minds of this little girl and her mum as they set off for a fun day out at the beach. The impact this incident has had on the girl and her family was easily prevented by simply stopping people from walking beneath the suspended timber whilst it was lifted. This risk should have been identified by Mr. Glowacki.”
Altro Limited, the flooring company who supplied the adhesive, was found not to have ensured so far as reasonably practicable that the product supplied was safe to use at all times
T Brown Group Ltd of High Street, Ewell, Surrey pleaded guilty to a breach under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £250,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £23,936.
Altro Limited of Works Road, Letchworth, Herts pleaded guilty to a breach under Section 6 (4) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £500,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £34,773.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Peter Collingwood said: “This tragic incident which has had a devastating effect on a young family was wholly avoidable. It is important that companies have an appreciation of their duties, (whether to its employees or its customers) and have effective systems and procedures in place to ensure that those duties are fulfilled”.
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