Wirral Council has been fined £6,000 after an employee suffered broken ribs and a fractured collarbone when a stepladder collapsed beneath him at a council-operated site in Heswall.
The worker was attempting to access a loft space at Dale Farm when the incident happened. As he approached the top of the stepladder, it gave way, causing him to fall to the ground and sustain serious injuries.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the council had failed to adequately control the risks associated with working at height and the use of ladders.
Inspectors identified a number of shortcomings in the council’s management of work-at-height activities. Ladders were not being effectively controlled and some had previously been identified as being in poor condition and unsafe to use. Despite this, they remained accessible to employees.
The investigation also found workers had not received appropriate training on how to assess whether a ladder was safe to use.
Falls from height remain a leading cause of workplace deaths and injuries, according to the latest HSE statistics.
The HSE has guidance, produced in partnership with the Ladder Association, setting out practical measures employers should take to ensure ladders are used safely. Separate guidance covers steps employers should take to prevent falls when working at height.
Wirral MBC pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The council was fined £6,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 in costs at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 11th August 2026.
Photo: Nel Ranoko
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