The company which owns Westfield shopping centres has been fined after a man working at its White City mall suffered a fractured and dislocated shoulder in a fall.
Westfield Shoppingtowns Ltd admitted to breaching regulations and was fined £10,000 following the incident at centre, in Shepherd's Bush, on December 20 2013.
The prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the accident could have easily been avoided if the accepted practice to protect workers operating at height was followed.
Brett Mason was working on the construction of a two-storey roof extension to an existing store, as part of the ‘Kidzania’ project to provide a new leisure and educational facility for children.
The 39-year-old was one of a team of subcontractors hired to relocate five units, used to supply and circulate air in the building, from the previous roof level to the new roof plant deck.
A colleague and he had been carrying out a final check of the site before the Christmas break to make sure all materials were safely secured and not liable to blow off the roof in high winds, the court heard.
They saw two ducts which needed securing but, as he was about to work on the second duct, Mr Mason stepped back and fell through an unprotected 8m x 1m gap in the plant deck mesh flooring.
He plunged 2m and sustained injuries which left him unable to work for six months. HSE argued that his fall could have been easily avoided had edge protection been placed around the gap.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Loraine Charles said: “The hole through which Mr Mason fell was one of a number of planned gaps in the plant deck mesh flooring.
"Westfield Shoppingtowns Ltd was well aware of the potential for the creation of risks of fall from height.
“As the principal contractor, it should have ensured that steps were taken to mitigate those risks whenever and wherever they arose. It was under a duty to ensure that the installation of the plant deck flooring was planned to make certain that intended gaps were provided with suitable edge protection at the earliest opportunity.
“This painful injury to Mr Mason, the after-effects of which still continue to have an impact on his daily life, could and should have been prevented.”
A spokesman for Westfield said: “Westfield takes health and safety extremely seriously and sincerely regrets this incident.
"Westfield has an excellent construction health and safety record with over 50 years’ development and construction experience worldwide.
“Westfield has fully co-operated with the HSE throughout the investigation and will continue to focus on raising standards across the industry.”
At Westminster Magistrates' Court, on March 10, Westfield Shoppingtowns Ltd was also told to pay costs of £1,247.
