Two firms fined after worker crushed by concrete

Two building firms have been fined after a man who was crushed by a platform loaded with chunks of concrete was left with life-changing injuries.

Steve Zschoch, who described being "folded up like a concertina", sustained fractures to his back and neck at Paxton House in the City of London. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found it was an "entirely avoidable incident".

Roots Contractors Limited, of Ewell in Surrey, was fined £19,333 and ordered to pay £5,548 in costs, after admitting a breach of construction safety regulations at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 11 June.

At the same hearing, Diacutt Limited, of Croydon, was fined £13,000 and ordered to pay £5,548 in costs.

Zschoch has been left unable to work after suffering fractures to his neck and spine, along with a bleed on the brain - profoundly affecting his day-to-day life.

The court heard how on 23 February 2024, he was working for contractors Diacutt on a refurbishment project run by Roots Contractors.

The work involved cutting openings through five concrete floors to create a service riser shaft.

Carpenters from Roots Contractors were tasked with building temporary wooden platforms beneath each opening to collect debris.

One of these platforms collapsed on to Zschoch as he worked on an opening on the third floor directly below.

"The impact this incident has had on me has been life-changing in so many ways," he said.

"Not just in mobility issues but in my confidence to do just about anything.

"Even simple domestic tasks, like using the launderette or going to the shops, can overwhelm me now - emotionally as well as physically."

An investigation by the HSE found there was no design for the temporary platforms, and no calculation had been made for a safe level of loading.

An inspection of the platform had been carried out but failed to identify any issues.

While workers were verbally warned not to "overload" the platforms and to clear them regularly, there was no specific guidance on what constituted a safe level of loading.

The HSE also found poor planning and oversight, with inconsistent safety documentation and no supervision of the drilling team before or on the day of the incident.

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