Van roof fall leads to glazing company fine

Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016   |  

A Norfolk-based window glazing company has been fined £10,000 after a worker fell from the roof of a van, causing severe head injuries.

In June 2012, Alan Campbell, who worked for Anglian Windows Limited fell when he was loading equipment onto the roof of a van after working at a property in Linlithgow, Scotland.

Campbell suffered two bleeds to the brain and was kept in an induced coma for over three weeks. Compression to his forehead required a metal plate to be inserted to partly reshape his face.

After an investigation by the Heath and Safety Executive and the Crown Office, it was found that the company had failed to provide sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to employees who were required to load and unload equipment from van roofs.

The company was fined £10,000 for breeching Section 2(1) of the Heath and Safety at Work Act 1974.

“Loading and unloading of materials and equipment from van roofs should be properly planned and appropriate control measures identified and employed,” said HSE inspector Ritchie McCrae. “On this occasion, Anglian Windows failed to control the risk of falls from van roofs as the company was entirely reliant on an instruction which was not properly communicated and was not monitored to check compliance.”

“As a result of this, an incident occurred which was entirely preventable and an employee sustained serious and life changing injuries,” he added.

Anglian Windows has failed to respond to our questions on whether it has changed its safety and training procedures as a result of the incident and ruling.



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