Luton Magistrates' Court was told that on 2 May 2017, a 36-year-old employee was working for MP Building. He climbed up to remove a nail from a brace holding trusses, one of which started to fall causing the employee to fall with it.
Raised fall protection decking did not cover the whole area and left significant gaps. The carpenter sustained nerve and tissue damage to his lower back, whiplash to his neck and his little finger was ripped open.
HSE investigators found that the risk assessments of MP Building were generic. They identified falls from height, but control measures focused on scaffolding and did not mention internal falls and decking.
It was also found that operatives on the site were not trained to install the decking.
MP Building pleaded guilty to breaching reg 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations and reg 13(1) of Construction (Design and Management) Regulations and was fined £65,000 plus £6,298 costs.
