Employer prosecuted after worker sustains accident injury at Carmarthenshire farm

A man has been fined in Carmarthenshire after his employee fell from a roof.

Daniel Elliot, from Nottingham, fell 5.5 metres from a farm building when he stepped backwards onto a fragile PVC skylight.

Mr Elliot, who was hired by Anthony William John Daniel of Towy Valley Fabrications to assist in the construction of a pitched roof between farm buildings, sustained a broken spine, fractured pelvis and arm injuries as a result of the fall.

At the prosecution is was found that Mr Daniel had failed to properly plan and supervise his work at height activity and had not reported the accident to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). He was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £2,651 in costs.

Phil Nicolle, HSE inspector, stated: "Anthony Daniel undertook the erection of a steel framed agricultural building with little understanding of the need for the safety measures that routinely apply to such construction work."

Every year a large percentage of at-work accidents occur because of improper safety measures for work at height.

Employers can protect workers by providing them with special equipment to shield them in the event of a fall.

Published by Tessa Jones