A fishing boat company in Scarborough has been prosecuted after an electrician fell after the company failed to provide him with a ladder suitable for the job he was carrying out.

In July 2009, 53-year-old electrical contractor Philip Parcell from Newby was working on board the Our Julia, which was moored in Scarborough harbour. Mr Parcell was fitting new bilge alarms and fell from a ladder that had been positioned between decks by the managing director of the company Our Julia Ltd, Nick Polihronos.

Mr Parcell broke his back in three places, fractured his skull in two places and sustained nerve damage to the left side of his face in the fall. He has had to give up work as an electrician as a result of the incident.

On Monday (10/05/10) at Scarborough Magistrates’ Court, Our Julia Ltd – based at Cayton – pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(e) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £2,028 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Paul Newton said:

‘The injuries Mr Parcell sustained from his fall aboard Our Julia were horrific and they could have been prevented.

‘Too many lives are shattered as a result of falls from height at work, and I hope today’s prosecution serves to remind all employers that proper precautions must be taken at all times.’

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