12/05/2010 - Boat operator fined over accident
A fishing boat operator has been fined £7,000 after an electrician fell from a ladder and fractured his skull in two places while working aboard the company's boat.
Philip Parcell, 53, from Newby, was working on the Our Julia, moored in Scarborough harbour, when he fell between the decks and damaged his skull, broke his back in three places and sustained nerve damage to the left side of his face on July 16 last year.
Our Julia Ltd, which owns the boat, did not provide a suitable ladder for Mr Parcell to use between the decks while he fitted new bilge alarms, Scarborough Magistrates Court heard. The company's managing director, Nick Polihronos, positioned the ladder.
The contractor has been forced to give up work due to the fall.
Our Julia Ltd, of Main Street, Cayton, pleaded guilty of breaching regulation 8(e) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £2,028 costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Paul Newton said: "The injuries Mr Parcell sustained from his fall aboard Our Julia were horrific and they could have been prevented.
"Too many lives are shattered as a result of falls from height at work, and I hope this prosecution serves to remind all employers that proper precautions must be taken at all times."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Related links
|
