A Scottish construction company and one of its directors have been held liable for the death of an employee due to the poor health and safety standards in the company. This is only the second such case in the last six years where a company director in
On 29 May 2008, the victim, Andrezej Freitag while working, fell almost three metres down an exhaust shaft at a block of apartments being built by the company. The incident occurred because the barrier on the edge of the shaft was not sturdy enough. Mr Freitag later succumbed to his injuries.
Discovery Homes (Scotland) Limited was fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to the charges levelled against them under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, at Dundee Sheriff Court.
Mr Richard Lionel John Pratt, a Director of the company, was also slapped with a fine of £4,000 after he pleaded guilty to the infringement of Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector, Murray Provan, has cautioned construction companies about the safety risk faced by their employees working at heights. Mr Provan stated strongly that the accident at the company’s construction site could have been prevented. He stated that Mr Freitag died because his employer and the site manager failed to do enough to mitigate the risks associated with working at such a height.
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Mr Pratt was also reprimanded for using barriers inappropriate for the task. The barriers used were those which are normally found at roadworks sites. Mr Pratt was in charge of construction work and was responsible for the health and safety of the employees and is therefore fully accountable for the company’s negligence, Provan said.
