Window Cleaning Company and Lincoln College Fined

Lincoln College has today been fined £1,500 after a window cleaner fell four metres – suffering broken ribs and a serious back injury.

James Theaker, 50, from Lincoln, was employed by A Nicoll & Son Ltd, when he was contracted to clean windows at Lincoln College, Monks Road in the city on 4 November 2008.

Mr Theaker accessed the roof of the main reception building using a ladder and leaned against the building to clean nearby windows, when he fell.

He spent a week in hospital and was forced to stay off work for months. Even now he can only carry out restricted duties.

Lincoln College pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety Regulations 1999 at Lincoln Magistrates’ Court today for failing to conduct a sufficient risk assessment. As well as the fine, the college was also ordered to pay £9,500 towards prosecution costs.

A Nicoll & Son Ltd, of Crofton Drive, Allenby Road Industrial Estate was prosecuted in October 2009 by HSE after pleading guilty for its role in the incident and was fined £2,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,948.20.

Following the hearing, HSE Inspector Judith McNulty-Green said:

“Mr Theaker has suffered life-changing injuries as a result of his fall. Lincoln College had a legal duty to check its contractors had proper procedures in place but failed to do so.

A restaurant and hotel firm has been fined £15,000

A PUB chain has been fined £235,000 for death of a cleaner.

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