When working close to a well at ground level is an example of working at height
What happened?
Three Mansfield District Council workers were sent to clear litter from a yard located off an alleyway in a town centre in April 2009. The yard used to house a number of restaurants but was derelict, and a large amount of rubbish had collected in a well.
The litter had collected between a metal grid and a mesh cover over the well. Two of the workers removed the grid, while the third stepped on the mesh, believing it to be solid underneath, so he could clear the waste. However, the mesh gave way and he fell six metres to the bottom of the well. He was rescued by the emergency services and taken to hospital for treatment for a dislocated elbow and cuts to his head, arms and leg. He was unable to return to work for six months owing to his injuries.
An HSE inspector said that the workers had not been given any instruction on how to carry out the work. He also revealed that the work could have been completed without removing the grid if they had been supplied with blowers to waft the rubbish off the mesh.
He said: “The work needed to be properly planned as, although it appeared to be quite straightforward, workers cleaning the well were clearly at risk from falling into it. This worker was extremely lucky to survive.”
Legal Outcome
In the January 2011 court case, Mansfield District Council pleaded guilty to breaching reg. 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £5000 and ordered to pay £5700 in costs.
What can we learn from what happened?
While there are definitely lessons to be learnt here, and they are self-evident from the HSE inspector’s comments about blowing the rubbish off the mesh, it is worth noting that the prosecution was for breach of the Work at Height Regulations. The point being that the regulations cover when you can fall from height, even at ground level or below. So, working in or around a well is an example of working at height.
Source of Information
SHP Online