A company in the UK has been fined £285,000 A$550,6100) after a worker was fatally injured in a 10-metre fall while installing cladding. Another worker was injured in the incident – he sustained injuries to his spine and broken ribs.
The 62-year-old worker and a second contractor had been in a scissor lift while installing the cladding during the construction of a new engineering hall at the University of Birmingham on 7 January 2020.
The scissor lift was pushed over by a nearby crane and the two workers, both from Lithuania, fell. HSE's investigation into the fall found:
- the incident could have been prevented if the firm had implemented better controls and put in place better communication between contractors
- there was no lift supervisor present at the time of the incident
Read more: HSE Media Release Construction firm fined as worker loses life and another injured