Terry Moore, 51, from Wisbech, suffered fractures to his left foot, shoulder, lower spine and pelvis, and was unable to work for several months as a result of the incident at Rosie Maternity Hospital – part of Addenbrooke’s – on 29 March 2012.
Belfast-based Farrans was prosecuted yesterday (23 January) by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found that guard-rails placed across the entrance to the lift shaft did not meet the statutory height requirement.
Cambridge magistrates heard that Mr Moore, an experienced lift engineer, was working on the top floor of a new three-storey annex under construction, and was preparing the shaft ahead of a lift installation.
He was about to bring up further equipment from a floor below when he fell into the lift shaft and fell nine metres. He was discovered at the bottom of the shaft by a subcontractor working nearby.
HSE’s investigation found that that the guard-rails placed across the entrance to the upper floor shaft were 908mm high, which is 42mm short of the 950mm required by regulations.
The court was told that although it could not be proven that the height discrepancy was a factor in the fall, it was a serious safety failing.
Farrans (Construction) Ltd, of Kingsway, Dunmurry, Belfast, was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,225 costs after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
After the hearing HSE inspector John Berezansky said: “Farrans (Construction) failed to implement a well-known industry standard regarding the height of the barriers across the lift shaft entrance.
“This standard has been in place for a considerable number of years, and it clearly states that the top guard rail must be at least 950mm above the edge from which any person is liable to fall. That is an absolute requirement and the onus is on employers to ensure this standard is met at all times.
“Construction work is a high-risk activity where falls account for a large proportion of all deaths and serious injuries. The end result here is that Mr Moore, an experienced engineer, sustained horrific injuries and could easily have been killed.”
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