Scott Ife, from Bridgnorth, was working for 2 Counties Construction (Midlands) Ltd when the incident took place on 8th June 2020. The company had been hired as the principal contractor for the conversion of agricultural barns into houses on Humber Lane in Telford.
Working alongside another employee, Scott Ife, who was 27 at the time, was laying the blocks to form the gable walls for a two-storey extension. The pair set up a working platform using Youngman boards on the first floor of the property. As there was an unprotected stairwell opening in the property, one end of the Youngman boards was unsupported.
While leaning over to point up the blocks in the gable walls, Mr Ife lost his balance before falling onto the unsupported Youngman boards and through the stairwell opening.
He fell four-and-a-half metres onto the concrete floor below, fracturing his skull and damaging his facial nerve. He was in hospital for three days.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) identified a series of failings on the part of 2 Counties Construction (Midlands) Ltd including a lack of suitable controls for preventing falls into the building and through the stairwell openings. There was also inadequate planning, a lack of selection of equipment for working at height and inadequate site management arrangements.
2 Counties Construction (Midlands) Ltd of Broomhall, Worcester, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. It was fined £12,000 and ordered to pay £4,139 in costs at Cannock Magistrates’ Court on 21st July 2023.
HSE inspector David Brassington said, “This incident could and should have been easily avoided. Work at height needs to be properly planned and managed to ensure that appropriate precautions are used. We are fortunate that the injuries resulting from these failings were not more serious.”
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