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Bakery fall man gets £80,000
A CLEANER forced to give up his job after falling from a ladder at a Dronfield bakery has received £80,000 in compensation.
Jeffery Phillips, aged 59, from Clowne, north Derbyshire, needed a hip replacement after falling 14 feet on to a concrete floor after the ladder he was using to clean machinery slipped.
Mr Phillips, who worked as a cleaner for 11 years for Gunstones Bakery in Dronfield, has now been forced to retire due to ill health.
The accident happened in August 2006 as the bakery, which makes bread-based products for supermarket chains, was preparing for a visit by one of its customers.
Mr Phillips had been asked to clean the top of a machine called a 'divider' and was using a ladder to reach the top when it slipped. He landed on the floor, breaking his hip. He also fractured his elbow and still suffers from pins and needles in his fingers.
Gunstones Bakery admitted liability and settled the claim out of court.
Mr Phillips said: "I can remember the day of the accident well. I'll never forget it because it changed my life completely. I've now had a hip replacement and can no longer work.
"I decided to pursue compensation because I wanted the company to take full responsibility for the accident. I had never been trained in using ladders and I wanted to make sure the correct training was provided to my colleagues in the future."
Ronnie Draper, National President and Safety Officer at the Bakers Food and Allied Workers Union, said: "Falls from heights are the number one cause of workplace deaths.
"With a little more planning and assessment of the risks, understanding of the limitations of ladders, proper maintenance and checking that users are competent, these accidents could be avoided."
Nicola Shepherdson, from Thompsons Solicitors, added: "Simple and cheap measures could have avoided this accident, like giving Mr Phillips the appropriate training. Employers have a responsibility to ensure users are competent in the safe use of ladders."
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