Two companies in the United Kingdom, including the managing director of one, have been fined $250,000 (£170,000) after a fall left a worker paralyzed.
The worker was installing a new racking system at a construction site when he fell more than nine meters onto a concrete floor. He has been left paralyzed from the chest down and will probably be in a wheel chair for the rest of his life.
Following the court hearing, Health & Safety inspector Kevin Wilson said: "It is unacceptable that a young man should suffer such life-changing injuries while just trying to do his job." The young worker has been left with a long-term debilitating condition because the two companies failed to ensure his health and safety. The full story can be found here.
Incidents such as this drive home the message that employers must understand the importance of protecting their employees and should adequately plan for working at height, ensuring fall protection measures are in place so incidents like this do not happen.
Fall protection training is required by all Provinces across Canada and is simple and inexpensive to provide to your employees. Visit our Fall protection Training page for more details.
