A Tyne and wear construction worker suffered serious personal injury, after falling almost four metres from his scaffolding platform.

Kevin Clark from Swalwell, in Gateshead, was working on the windows of a new development in County Durham, when he fell almost four metres because of the faulty scaffolding.

He suffered crushed vertebrae and a broken left foot as a result of his fall and had to spend two weeks in hospital.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that his employers Ian Allan Building Contractors Ltd, of Jesmond Road, Jesmond, in Newcastle had failed to identify alterations to the scaffolding and failed to carry out routine inspections which led to employees using scaffolding that was unsafe.

The company was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay the same amount again in costs after admitting breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, when appearing at Consett Magistrates’ Court.

Speaking after the hearing Mr. Clark explained how he had been left in constant pain because of his injuries and has had to have steel rods inserted into his spine, he hoped that other employers would now recognise the importance of carrying out regular safety checks on scaffolding, to ensure the safety of workers.

Falls from height are the biggest cause of serious personal injury in the construction industry and many workers injured in this way go on to make a fall from height accident claim.