Hertfordshire man prosecuted after construction worker dies » Housing » 24dash.com

Christopher Lucas from Bennetts End, Hemel Hempstead has been fined £15,000 at City of London Magistrates Court yesterday (27 November) following the death of Steven Sinclair from Watford in a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive.

Christopher Lucas runs a Double Glazing window replacement company called Four Seasons. 40-year-old Steven Sinclair and another man were employed by Mr Lucas to replace double-glazed windows on 3 October 2005.

The work was being done between the 3rd and 4th floor of a residential apartment block in Flat 44, Greville Hall, Greville Place, London NW6.

The glass was very heavy and as the men lifted it into place they and the glass all fell 11m to the ground. Steven Sinclair was taken to hospital but died later that day.

Christopher Lucas pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Adequate means had not been used to prevent the men from falling and Christopher Lucas was not aware of the minimum legal requirements for working at height.

Following the trial at the City of London Magistrates Court on 27 November 2006, HSE Inspector Lisa Chappell said,

"The risks of working at height are well-known, yet falls remain the most common cause of death and injury in the construction industry. Mr Sinclair's family are grieving the loss of a son and brother following a fatal accident that could easily have been prevented. This case highlights once again the absolute necessity for work at height to be properly planned, and for equipment such as guard rails, barriers or harnessed to be used where appropriate."

There is a hierarchy of means to protect people working at height. Under the Working at Height Regulations, a window ledge needs to be between 810-950mm high.