Westbury Homes pays £12,000 for contractor's fall

Prosecutions and Claims |
01.03.2006

Housebuilder Westbury Homes has been fined £8,000 plus £3,833 costs after a window fitter fell almost six metres.

The accident happened on 28 May 2004 when Gareth Davies and Jason Richards, both employed by Westbury contractor RSU Sales, were fitting dormer windows to a new house at a development at Mariners Quay, Port Talbot. Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigating inspector Hayley Healey told HSW that Westbury had provided external working platforms but the fitters' normal practice was to fit the windows internally, so they entered the plot through a window opening to work from the internal floor. Davies fell 5.7 metres through a second floor stairwell opening. He suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and bruising.

Healey said Westbury had failed to ensure that the window fitters were properly inducted to the site. It also failed to ensure the men were familiar with their own company's method statement, and had not prevented access to an unsafe area, or covered the stairwell openings and provided edge protection to prevent falls.

At Neath Magistrates' Court on 16 January, Westbury Homes (Holdings) pleaded guilty to a single charge under Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 of failing to ensure the safety of non-employees.