Croudace Homes has been fined £80,000 after an employee fell through a plasterboard ceiling, sustaining serious injuries.
The worker was in a loft space on a site in Basingstoke on 31 October 2016 when he fell through the ceiling onto a staircase, puncturing a lung, as well as fracturing six ribs, a vertebra and a shoulder.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive found that there was poor planning of the pre-plaster work and a lack of understanding of the risks associated with working at height in the loft without adequate fragile surface protection.
Croudace Homes pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulation 2005 and was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £5,355.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Sharron Cripps said: “Falls from height remain the most common cause of work-related fatalities and serious injuries in the construction industry and the risks associated with working at height are well-known.
"Working on or near fragile materials at height can be particularly dangerous and it is very important that those in control of the work identify the risk, plan to eliminate it if possible, or where it is not possible, take appropriate precautions to safeguard workers and others. Good management will also include regular monitoring that the controls in place are keeping people safe.”
