A construction firm has been fined after a worker was left paralysed when he fell at building site in North Lanarkshire.

Structural Metal Decks Limited (SMDL) pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 3 (1) and 33 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £105,000.

Airdrie Sheriff Court heard how the firm was sub-contracted by John Graham Construction Ltd to lay metal deck flooring at a new health centre in Kilsyth.

A scaffolder employed by the firm was moving scaffolding components on 22 April 2015 when he stood on a section of decking which had been put in place by SMDL. However, the decking sheet gave way and the man fell more than four metres to the ground.

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As a result, the worker suffered injuries to his spinal cord and is now paralysed from the neck down.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the metal deck sheets on the first level of the building had not been secured properly and the access to the first level of the decking was not adequately controlled, allowing non-decking workers onto the deck.

HSE inspector Graeme McMinn said: "This is a tragic incident, which has had a devastating effect on a young man's life. The accident could have been avoided if the Structural Metal Decks Ltd had taken appropriate safety precautions and ensured the decking sheets were properly secured."

(LM/CD)