86-year-old woman dies in construction site fall

Southwark Crown Court docket heard that on 2 December 2019 Iris Keys entered a building site at St Ann’s Hill, Wandsworth, London.

She walked up a flight of stairs, across the initial flooring and fell from the edge of an unprotected stairwell.

Keys suffered severe injuries including a fractured hip, fracture to her right arm, a dislocated left shoulder and lacerations to her forehead and appropriate leg. She subsequently died from her injuries at St George’s Clinic 5 days later on.

An HSE investigation found that Aspect Extensions Restricted was in control of do the job at top and had a obligation to consider acceptable and sufficient measures to prevent, so much as is moderately practicable, any person falling a length liable to bring about individual harm.

HSE’s investigation found it would have been fairly practicable to make certain that the overall stairwell opening experienced been boarded in excess of with a acceptable substance ahead of the removal of the bannisters.

This would have allowed a window to be put in without the need of hazards to falls.

If the stairwell necessary to be reopened following installation of the window, short term guard rails or obstacles could have been put in in advance of the board above the stairwell opening had been taken off.

Side Extension Confined of Bishop’s Stortford pleaded responsible to protection breaches and was fined £50,000 and purchased to pay back prices of £10,061.86.

Talking soon after the listening to, HSE inspector Saif Deen, stated: “This tragic incident led to the avoidable demise of an elderly lady.

“The situation highlights the relevance of next guidance and the law which calls for duty holders to appropriately plan, deal with and keep track of the pitfalls ensuing from work functions at their design web sites.

“The dying could have been prevented had the employer acted to recognize and take care of the hazards concerned, and to set a harmless technique of get the job done in position.”