A famous boat maker from the Isle of Wight has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive after an incident. One of the employees working for Clare Lallow Ltd fell while working at the Cowes site. Falls from height and slips and trips are the biggest cause of accidents and deaths in the workplace. Many of these accidents can be completely avoided with training in health and safety and competent risk assessments and working methods.

In this incident the unnamed employed was trying to pick up a sanding machine as he worked on one of the vessels in the yard. The employee had been working for Clare Lallow Ltd for the past 16 years, but he fell breaking his arm as he hit the floor 1.4 meters below.   The following investigation by the Health and Safety Executive discovered that Clare Lallow had breached the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Five Months to Recover from Broken Arm

After the fall the unnamed employee was unable to return to work for five months. He was working on staging but the staging did not have any safety measures which would have prevented the man or any employees from falling.  A second inspection carried out after the incident by the Health and Safety Executive showed the boat maker had put rope rails in place since the incident, however these were not safe enough and weren’t suitable to prevent falls.  Therefore a Prohibition Notice was handed out which ordered Clare Lallow ltd to stop all work at height.  After the notice the company installed scaffolding and a guard rail in order to comply.

The well-known company have built yachts for Edward Heath such as Morning Cloud and have been operating since 1867. They pleaded guilty while attending the hearing at the Isle of Wight Magistrates.  They were fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £1,000 in court costs.

Falls Can Be Avoided with Health and Safety Policies in Place

This fall was completely avoidable, as most falls are in the workplace.  You can help to prevent such accidents by complying with the health and safety regulations and following safety guidelines.  When working at height you much have safety measures in place such as railings, structures and equipment to help prevent the possibility of a fall. All employees must be trained how to work safely and how to use any special equipment.

In 2010-2011 there were 38 deaths caused by falls from height.  In addition to these tragic accidents there were over 4000 serious injuries and more than 5500 injuries which resulted in more than three days off work.  As an employer you can work with health and safety consultants to help prevent accidents and comply with the regulations.

There are multiple health and safety services such as the competent person, safety training and the audit service designed to spot areas of concern. Contact the health and safety consultants on 0800 1488 677 today and start taking health and safety seriously.

About David Cant

David Cant is a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner extraordinaire. He has a wealth of Industry experience and is the MD of Veritas Consulting. David also Blogs about Health and Safety here Health and Safety Consultants

His aim is to flavour Health and Safety with integrity, served with a side of humour You can find David on - Twitter and Google also Linkedin