Carlisle Glass Ltd Fined £10,000 after Worker Falls

The Health and Safety Executive has warned of the importance of proper training when using ladders. The warning follows the prosecution of Carlisle Glass Ltd after an employee severed an artery when a ladder slipped and he cut himself on the broken window he was repairing.

Carlisle Glass Ltd of Crown Street, Carlisle wa fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £1,100 costs after pleading guilty at Carlisle Magistrates Court to a charge under Section 2 (1) of the Health and safety at Work Etc Act 1974, that they failed to ensure the safety at work of an employee.

Ten people have died and 820 people have been seriously injured in the North West after falling from ladders between 2001 and 2006. The incident happened during the Health and Safety Executive campaign to raise awareness of ladder safety.

After the incident the company was served with four Prohibition Notices banning them from using ladders that were in poor condition and four Improvement Notices served because of safety breaches.

The court heard that on the 25th June 2007 the company sent one of its employees to repair a broken window at a property in Durranhill Road, Carlisle. The employee had removed large pieces of broken glass and was using a hacking tool and a hammer to remove the old putty from the frame when the ladder slipped and the employee severed an artery and two tendons on his left hand.

HSE Inspector, Mhairi Duffy, told the court that the ladder was not secured and the employee had not received any training in the use of ladders. The ladder was not suitable for this type of the work as the employee was unable to hold on properly while working.

HSE Inspector, Mhairi Duffy, said: 'This was an entirely avoidable incident and the consequences could have been far worse. The injured person has undergone physiotherapy, but still suffers from some mobility loss and loss of grip. The injured person had not received any training in the use of ladders and in this case more suitable access equipment should have been used. This prosecution should serve as a warning of the dangers working at height and to ensure that employers take their responsibilities seriously.'