Company fined £285,000 after worker dies during construction at University of Birmingham

A company has been fined more than £285,000 and sentenced after a 62-year-old fell 10 metres to the ground and died while working.

Igor Malka died and Edmund Vispulskis suffered injuries to his spine and broken ribs, before spending seven weeks in a neck brace.

Mr Vispulskis also needed pins to be inserted in his pelvis and thigh.

How did this happen?

Mr Malka and Mr Vispulskis were in a scissor lift while applying some material to a new engineering hall at the University of Birmingham on 7 January 2020.

The pair were constructing a new university facility.

They fell roughly 10 metres when their scissor lift was pushed over by a nearby crane, which was being used to move hydraulic equipment that had been delivered by a lorry.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the fall and prosecuted Balfour Beatty, giving them a fine on Monday 16 September.

Balfour Beatty was the main contractor while the National Buried Infrastructure Facility was being built at the University of Birmingham.

The HSE investigation found the incident could have been prevented if Balfour Beatty introduced better controls and put in place better communication between contractors.

Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know…