Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited has been fined £30,000 after a 25-year-old bricklayer was seriously injured when the floor he was working on collapsed beneath him.
The incident happened on June 4, 2024, at a house under construction on Lynn Street in Oldham. The bricklayer was working on the upper level when the floor gave way, causing him to fall to the ground below as concrete blocks also tumbled down.
He suffered fractures to his leg, hip and hand, and required surgery. He remained in hospital for a month, according to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Investigation findings
An investigation by the HSE found that the contractor, Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, had failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the construction work on site. The floor that collapsed had been overloaded with concrete blocks and had not been constructed properly.
The probe also identified unsafe scaffolding, a lack of fire alarms, and inadequate competent site management. The company was found to have fundamental failures to manage health and safety.
Court action and fine
HSE inspectors issued multiple enforcement notices. On August 11, the company, based on Bath Street in Oldham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 at Warrington Magistrates' Court.
The firm was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,883 in costs within three years.
HSE Inspector Karen Farley said: "The injuries suffered by this worker were the consequence of fundamental failures to manage health and safety. Our investigation revealed that this was not an isolated failing but part of a broader pattern of poor health and safety standards across the site. The construction industry remains one of the highest-risk sectors and employers must ensure that work is properly planned, supervised and carried out safely. This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented had the floor been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions and safe systems of work been in place to ensure it was not overloaded with construction materials."
