Two Black Country construction firms have been fined after a worker was severely injured by falling timber.
Kent Road Construction Limited and Fortmere Construction were both prosecuted by The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following an investigation into the incident.
Wolverhampton Magistrates Court heard that on 10 June 2009, Neil Anson, a 44 year old self-employed plasterer, was getting off the trailer when several packs of the roof trusses fell onto him, severely fracturing his right leg, elbow, hand and thumb.
A dozen of the large wooden structures, together weighing some 400kg, pinned Mr Anson to the floor and another, larger, heavier pack also fell towards the stricken man but fortunately the pack hit a road sign that stopped it landing on him.
Kent Road Construction Limited of 76 High Street, Brierley Hill, admitted breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulation 1998
Mr Shiv Sharma, trading as Fortmere Construction, admitted breaching Regulation 14(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulation 2007. Kent Road Construction Ltd was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,496 costs while Mr Shiv Sharma, trading as Fortmere Construction, was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £899 costs.
dHSE inspector Martin Overstall said:
“Mr Anson received very serious injuries as a result of this incident and had the falling timber hit his head, he would almost certainly have died.
“This case should remind companies managing construction sites and directing cranes to ensure all operators are properly trained and competent to do so. The law also requires companies that hire contractors to make reasonable checks that they are competent to carry out work on a construction site.
