Huddersfield company fined for accident at workRSS Feed

An accident at work has resulted in a £12,000 fine for a Huddersfield textile firm.

Phoenox Textiles was ordered to pay the amount after a worker suffered broken bones in a fall.

Dennis Hunter of Barnsley was left with a broken leg and a crushed ankle when he fell eight feet on to concrete in the incident.

The 57-year-old was dismantling a 30-foot shelving unit with colleagues, which they had not been trained to do.

Although ladders were supplied, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found they were not fit for purpose.

HSE inspector Jackie Ferguson said Mr Hunter was lucky not to have suffered more serious injuries.

"Falls from height remain the biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of injury," she added.

"Working at height without the right equipment, training or systems is wholly unacceptable and extremely dangerous."

The news comes as the HSE publishes new guidance on fire safety in construction.

Accident claims advice from Serious Law

Posted by M E Dixon

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