A building firm has been fined after a teenager had a nasty fall at a construction site in Sheffield.

The 17-year-old worker was building a mezzanine floor at a site on Neepsend Lane when he stepped on a loose board and fell 2.8 metres to the ground, sustaining cuts and bruises.

Wayne McKnight, trading as RJE Construction, of Park Crescent, Sunning Dale, Ascot, Berkshire, was fined for safety breaches following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

He pleaded guilty at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court to breaching Regulation 6 (3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2015, and was fined £500 and ordered to pay costs of £1,300.

Wayne McKnight, trading as RJE Construction, was fined after a 17-year-old worker fell at a building site in Neepsend, Sheffield (pic: HSE)

placeholder image — Wayne McKnight, trading as RJE Construction, was fined after a 17-year-old worker fell at a building site in Neepsend, Sheffield (pic: HSE)

The HSE found that safety nets were not in place before boarding began and there was nothing else to prevent workers falling from height or protect them should they do so.

HSE inspector Sarah Robinson said: “Falls from height often result in life-changing or fatal injuries, which thankfully did not eventuate here.”