An Oldham-based construction company has been fined £30,000 after a bricklayer was hospitalised for a month when the floor he was working on collapsed.
The incident happened in June 2024 at a house under construction on Lynn Street, Oldham.
The 25-year-old worker was bricklaying on the upper level of the property when the floor collapsed beneath him.
Concrete blocks fall with worker
The bricklayer fell along with multiple concrete blocks that had been stored on the upper floor.
He sustained fractures to his right leg, hip and left hand. His injuries required surgery and resulted in a month long stay in hospital.
HSE finds construction failings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, acting as principal contractor, had failed to properly plan, manage and monitor the construction work.
The floor that collapsed had been overloaded with concrete blocks and had not been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s design.
Other safety risks identified
HSE also identified several other health and safety failings at the site.
These included unsafe scaffolding, inadequate arrangements for work at height, a lack of fire alarms and inadequate competent site management.
As a result of the failings, HSE inspectors issued multiple enforcement notices.
Principal contractor responsibilities
HSE guidance states that effective management of health and safety is crucial to successfully delivering a construction project.
Principal contractors have an important role in managing construction risks and must plan, manage and monitor the construction phase. They must also ensure effective preventative and protective measures are in place and appropriate supervision is provided.
Company fined £30,000
Oldham Business and Construction Management Limited, of Bath Street, Oldham, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015.
The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £4,883 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 11 August 2026. The fine and costs are to be paid within three years.
HSE Inspector Karen Farley said: “The injuries suffered by this worker were the consequence of fundamental failures to manage health and safety.
“Our investigation revealed that this was not an isolated failing but part of a broader pattern of poor health and safety standards across the site.
“The construction industry remains one of the highest-risk sectors and employers must ensure that work is properly planned, supervised and carried out safely.
“This incident was entirely foreseeable and could have been prevented had the floor been constructed in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions and safe systems of work been in place to ensure it was not overloaded with construction materials.”
