A 20 year-old man from Woolston, near Warrington, has been unable to work and has suffered constant pain and depression since the incident at Norton Grounds, Daventry.

Northampton Crown Court heard that he fell while installing solar panels for Alternative Energy Installations Limited, which has since gone into liquidation.

Soft floor material in the barn, used for horse training, helped to break his fall, but he was still hospitalised for four weeks with a serious back injury. The incident has had a significant impact on his life.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated and prosecuted the firm’s technical director, for failing to control the risk of falling through fragile roof materials. Alternative Energy Installations Limited was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £27,000 in costs after being found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The firm’s technical director was fined £7,300 and ordered to pay £6,700 in costs after pleading guilty to the same charge at an earlier magistrates’ court appearance.

With cases arising such as these it is evident that there is a real need to focus on reducing risk whatever type of activity your business is involved in. We have produced our top ten tips to help small to medium sized businesses comply with Health and Safety Regulations and maintain a safe place of work.

Our top tips:

• Risk assessment – carry out and record a risk assessment for your workplace – you need to think about what could cause harm, and what precautions you will take to prevent it.
• Health & Safety policy – write down how you manage Health and Safety in your business in the form of a Health and Safety Policy (this is compulsory if you employ 5 or more people, but recommended for all companies).
• Clean & tidy – if you maintain a clean and tidy workplace then this in itself may clear away any number of potential hazards.
• Competence – you need to have access to competent advice for your employees so that they can meet their responsibilities. This could be someone within your business who has received training, or an external consultant.
• Provide Health and Safety training for employees so they are aware of the hazards and risks in the workplace and are equipped to manage them. Since April 5 2014 (15 June for Northern Ireland) employers are also legally required to either provide employees with a copy of the HSE-approved leaflet or display the 2009 Health & Safety poster in a prominent position.
• Employee consultation – you should frequently consult with employees on Health and Safety to ensure that they understand the responsibilities that they have and are aware of the control measures you have in place.
• By law, there are some work related accidents and diseases that you must report if they occur. Further details of these can be found on the HSE website
• First Aid – the level of first aid provision that you will require will depend upon the number of people within your premises and the level of risk associated with your activities.
• Fire safety – ensure you have a fire risk assessment and policy for your premises. This should also include an emergency evacuation plan that should be tested with fire drills at least twice a year.
• Maintenance – there are specific regulations that require your premises and equipment to be in safe condition. This can be achieved by a system of planned preventative maintenance. This means routinely checking the condition of the building and equipment, with a view to identifying work that needs to be done before a defect occurs.

Where do you go from here

By taking appropriate action to assess the risks faced in your business and then implementing steps to reduce them, not only will you meet your legal rights as an employer, but you could also benefit from potentially lower insurance premiums.

For more information on Health & Safety advice please speak to your usual Jelf advisor; alternatively contact your local Jelf office.