An East London construction and development company have been fined £300k after employee fell 7.5 metres which caused his death, had health and safety controls “on paper”.

The accident took place on November 4th 2015 at an office and warehouse building which were being converted into private residential accommodation.

The employee was using a concrete breaker to create an opening in the floor for a new stairwell when he fell, sustaining fatal head injuries.

The HSE investigation found that the work was not thoroughly planned, and with little supervision or safety controls being made such as guard rails or barriers to prevent falls.

HSE Inspector Kevin Smith stated:

“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to implement suitable and sufficient measures to prevent falls.

The risks associated with work at height are well known throughout the construction industry.”

First Rate Training are able to assist with a number of diverse Health and Safety training courses that we can adapt to suit your companies requirements

For more information contact Rebecca on 01792 814700 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Keywords: Health and Safety Training, Risk Assessment, Work at height, HSE