Man fractures skull after falling through open stairwell at building site as firm fined £30,000

A Bolton firm has been fined £30,000 after a labourer fractured his skull after falling through a stairwell while working on a new build house. The man was working for Total Brickwork (UK) Ltd at a construction site run by Bolton based Challenger Building Services Ltd on Okell Street, Runcorn in 2021.

The 46-year-old, who was 43 at the time, was on the first floor in one of the new terraced properties after being instructed by the director of Total Brickwork to clear up debris and mortar left behind by bricklayers. He had climbed up the first floor using a ladder at the stairwell opening, which had been covered with temporary boards.

The boards were slid apart to allow access to the first floor. Intending to sweep the debris down the stairwell opening, the man lifted up one of the temporary boards and stepped forward as he was going to lean it against a wall. However, he fell through the stairwell opening onto the ground floor below as there were no floorboards underneath the temporary boards.

He fractured his skull, sustained multiple broken ribs and needed a plate to be inserted into his collarbone. The two companies had been working on the construction of four new semi-detached and five terraced houses at the site.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the principal contractor Challenger Building Services Limited and Total Brickwork (UK) Ltd, the contractor in control of the work activity, had failed to plan, manage and monitor work at the site to ensure it could be carried out