A construction company has appeared in Edinburgh Sheriff Court charged with health and safety breaches after a worker was seriously injured when he fell through a void.

The worker was employed by a sub-contractor working for the construction company and had been contracted to pour concrete onto the first floor of a building at Fort Kinnaird Retail Park, Edinburgh.

He was walking across a floor that was under construction when his boot caught and he tripped. He dislodged an unsecured wooden board which had been placed over the void and exposed an opening of 2 x 1 metres.

He fell approximately 4.5 metres through a void in the first floor and sustained serious injuries to his back as well as a broken foot. He was off work for twenty-two weeks and suffers continuing pain. He has reduced mobility, and finds it difficult to walk or sit for long periods.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident found that the company failed to take suitable and sufficient measures by not fixing the wooden panels placed on the void to prevent a fall.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulation 2005 and was fined £6,600.

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