A horticultural company has been fined £80,000 after an employee suffered serious injuries when a ladder collapsed beneath him while he was working at height. The incident happened in June 2023, when the employee was checking irrigation watering hanging baskets in Banbury, Oxfordshire.
As he climbed the ladder, it gave way, throwing him to the ground. He sustained five broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to ensure, so far as was reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare of its employees.
Inspectors concluded that the task had not been properly planned or carried out safely, as required under workplace safety law. The HSE said the case served as a reminder that working at height remains one of the leading causes of serious injury and death on farms and in other workplaces.
Read more at Farming UK
