Work injury sees design firm fined £25,000

A work accident in which two men were injured and another unharmed has resulted in an interior design company based in Stafford being fined.

Bridgford Interiors Limited, of Lichfield, Staffordshire admitted to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

As a result, the company was fined £25,000 and told to pay costs of £23,392.

The work accident happened on September 21st 2006 when three men were refurbishing a TK Maxx outlet in Hounslow, where they were using concrete to block an opening on the first floor of the building.

When they were doing this, the temporary propping in place to hold up the underside of the decking in the opening collapsed, causing them to fall over 4.8 metres to the floor below.

Two of the men were injured in the incident while the third was not harmed.

"This prosecution arises as a result of Bridgford's failing in their duty as the company responsible for the temporary work. Whilst they had appointed a structural engineering company to execute the permanent works, they had not appointed a temporary works engineer and, as such, this duty fell to them," Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Viv Neaverson said.

The HSE and the Office of Rail Regulation prosecuted 1,033 offences in 2009/10, while local authorities prosecuted 287.

Published by Hannah Carr