59-year old Stephen Pywell died at work in 2019 during a roof construction-phase
James Pitsillides, director of Affordable Lifestyle Design Limited, was found guilty of failing to manage the roof work, resulting in the HSE suspended sentence.
Pitsillides has been sentenced to a 20-week prison sentence, two year suspended sentence with 200 hours of unpaid work on top of £10,000 in costs at Leicester Magistrates’ Court.
Pywell was not adequately protected at work
Pywell was working under the Affordable Lifestyle Design name at a site in Thurmaston on 18 March 2019. During the roof-construction phase, he accessed roof beams via a ladder. No edge protection was in place, and Pywell fell from a height of roughly eight feet.
He was rushed to hospital, but unfortunately died from his injuries on 13 May 2019.
HSE investigated, and found Pitsillides had failed in his responsibilities as director of the company to ensure that health and safety risks are managed and mitigated. Pitsillides pleaded guilty to the charge of breaching Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, relating to an underlying breach of s.3(1).
Falls from height a leading cause of death at work
HSE provides guidance on working safely at height, which dictates that the work must be properly planned, supervised, and carried out in a safe manner.
The guidance offers a “hierarchy of control”, which places collective fall prevention measures as top priority, including edge protection which may have prevented the tragedy that befell Stephen Pywell.
If edge protection isn’t possible or safe to use, other measures such as airbags or nettings should be used to mitigate the consequences of a fall.
HSE inspector Phil Gratton said: “Every year, a significant number of incidents occur in construction as a result of poorly planned work at height.
“This was a wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure to implement simple fall protection measures. Had the company used suitable work equipment or devised a safe system of work, Mr Pywell’s tragic death could have been avoided.
“Our thoughts remain with his family and friends.”
Falls from height are one of the most frequent causes of death at work
In September last year, HSE fined Balfour Beatty for a sum of £285,000 after one worker died and another was severely injured while working at the University of Birmingham.
The workers were operating a scissor lift when a nearby crane accidentally collided with the scissor lift while moving hydraulic equipment. The two workers fell 10 feet, causing injuries to one workers spine, pelvis, thigh, and ribs, and killing the other worker.
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