HSE issues risk assessment warning

Businesses are being warned to carry out suitable risk assessments of areas they plan to work in after two companies were fined for failing to do so, which left an employee needing round the clock care for the rest of his life.

On October 11th, a worker fell down a concrete staircase while it was being installed, suffering severe head injuries.

Trak Build and Midland Structures, who were contracted to build the industrial units in which the employee was injured, were both ordered to pay the sum of £18,278.92 in costs and damages.

Now the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning other firms to perform thorough risk assessments to prevent further tragedies from occurring.

"This is a very tragic case. The companies involved failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the installation of the concrete stairways on the building site. Had this been done properly this incident should never have happened," HSE inspector Trevor Tollervey said.

A risk assessment involves examining what the potential dangers are within a work place and then taking action to reduce any risk of harm to staff.