Construction company fined £60,000 after collapsing walls knocks worker through unprotected floor opening

A construction company has been fined £60,000 after a wall collapsed and knocked an employee through an open stairwell onto a concrete floor below. The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The employee was sweeping dust on the first floor of the building beside boards that had been laid across a large opening in the floor earlier that day. The boards did not cover the entirety of the opening, and there was no edge protection around the gap. While sweeping, a newly built wall to the left collapsed, knocking the employee over the unprotected edge onto the concrete floor approximately three metres below causing him to suffer multiple fractures and a dislocated shoulder.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had not addressed the risk of falling through the gap, and that no measures had been taken to prevent this. Further, employees had not been made aware of the risks and there was no manager or site supervisor present at the time of the incident.