HSE prosecutes building firm after woman’s injuries

After a woman who had been waiting at a bus stop was struck by a piece of machinery that had fallen from an office block, the Health and Safety Executive has prosecuted the building firm responsible for the incident, according to accident claim experts familiar with the case.

At a recent hearing in Westminster Magistrates’ Court, judges were told that Concentra Ltd, a building firm based in Waltham Cross, had been working on refurbishing the York Road, London building when the incident leading to the woman’s personal injury claims occurred. While a 380kg ‘air lifting unit’ was being hoisted in a lifting sling up the outside of the building, it slipped and fell, striking the woman on the ground below and causing severe injuries, including swelling to her head, bruises, cuts, and a number of broken and fractured bones, with the woman’s injuries being so severe that she had no choice but to spend over a week in hospital; with the incident allegedly affecting her ability to study and work, experts predict she will be making a claim for personal injury compensation due to the extent of her injuries.

The HSE investigated the incident shortly after, discovering that the crane being used to lift the air handling unit had not been fitted correctly with the lifting slings.  As a result of this, the unit was knocked free of its sling when it struck a ‘mast climber’ on its way up the side of the building, and the Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire-based company admitted breaching health and safety regulations at the hearing, resulting in a fine of £20,000 for Concentra Ltd.

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