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Firm fined after floor collapse

Emilene Coventry
5/12/2007

A FIRM will have to pay more than £35,000 after an unsafe floor collapsed and trapped 21 employees — during a health and safety meeting.

No-one was seriously hurt, but two workers suffered broken bones after the floor, which had not been built to be load bearing, crashed 9ft to the ground below.

Luckily three people in the room underneath fled with moments to spare after noticing the ceiling bulging.

Hyde-based Findel Education pleaded guilty at Tameside Magistrates’ Court to failing to ensure the health and safety of employees.

They were fined £13,000 and must also pay the £22,504 costs of an investigation by Tameside Council’s health and safety officers.

Representing the council, prosecutor Leila Ghahhary said: "Expert reports indicate the fixings of the joist that held the ceiling in place were inadequate for the load taken."

The company, which employs 400 people and produces educational supplies, was based in the Hyde Building, an old mill on Ashton Road. To improve acoustics, a hanging ceiling was built in 2000. The builder also carried out some work so the space above could eventually become a functional room.

But he made it clear to the company that further work was needed to make it load bearing.

Defending, Rob Elvin said the only two employees who were aware the floor was not safe – the former managing director and his assistant – left Findel a year ago.

"Somewhere along the line this had been forgotten," he said.

"For whatever reason, it was used. But this should never have happened."

He said the pair had used the room themselves regularly.

"They can’t have thought there was a risk in using the room," he said.

The company had completely overhauled its health and safety management systems as a result of the incident in 2006, he said.