JJB Homes fined £30,000 after scaffolding accident

A director and his firm have been fined £30,000 after a worker fell 30ft and suffered “severe injuries”.

Llandudno Magistrates’ Court heard that builder Nicholas Roberts, a 28-year-old from Rhyl, was working on scaffolding at a site in Llanfairfechan in December 2007 when he fell. He fractured his pelvis in three places, broke some teeth and brusied his groin.

JJB Homes Ltd, of Stockport, pleaded guilty to health and safety breaches and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £10,835. The firm went into liquidation subsequent to the accident. The firm’s director, James Burt, also of Stockport, pleaded guilty to breaching the health and safety Act and was fined 10,000.

Debbie John, the HSE inspector handling the case, said: “Falling from a height of around nine metres, Mr Roberts was extremely lucky to survive. It’s incredible that he managed to walk away with broken bones.

JBB Homes Limited and James Burt failed in their duty to provide a safe system of work, including a lack of suitable means to prevent falls from the scaffolding. Mr Burt also failed to properly supervise his staff.”

“Falls from height remain the single biggest cause of workplace deaths and one of the main causes of major injury and construction companies must not leave safety of their workers as an after-thought, which could lead to tragic consequences.”

More than 4,000 workers suffered a major injury as a result of a fall from height in 2008/09.