Man left with life-changing injuries after horror incident on construction site

A Salford construction company has been handed a huge fine after a worker fractured his skull in a fall.

Dean Noble fell while working on a refurbishment on a premises on Oldham Street in Manchester on December 11, 2020, the Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) said. The 53-year-old, from Wythenshawe, fell through a gap in a balustrade that was erected around an opening on the ground floor.

He landed in the basement three metres below and was left with 'multiple' fractures to his skull and leg. Construction company Cubicworks Ltd, based near Salford Quays, was the principal contractor for the refurbishment and 'failed to ensure there was adequate edge protection' in place, the HSE found.

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Mr Noble hasn't been able to return to work since the fall and said his life has 'totally changed', with him having to rely on his wife Karen for day-to-day help. In a victim personal statement, he said: "My life has totally changed.

"Before the accident, I was very active, I worked away a lot and as part of my job I was up and down ladders installing security cameras which I had done for 25 years. Prior to the accident, I used to play five-a-side football at least once a week with my mates and I played golf a couple of times a month with my friends.

"As I’m unable to play these sports, my social life has a changed a lot. Everyday things, like making a cup of tea, requires me to concentrate.

"I can read text messages and letters, but I can’t retain that information so I have to rely on Karen to read them and write them down in the diary. I rely on Karen to help me to function on a day-to-day basis."

The HSE found that 'suitable guard rails or