A principal contractor has been fined after a man was left ‘physically ruined’ after falling from a tipping bucket on a fork lift truck in Kent.Aaron Back, 41, a father of four, spent months in hospital after the incident at the EMIR site on Wotton Road in Ashford on 28 March 2023. The then 38-year-old had been contracted by South East Refurbishment Limited to carry out work dismantling pipework. He was in a raised tipping bucket on a fork lift truck at the time when he fell out of it to the concrete floor below.An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that a scissor lift had been ordered to undertake the work but was too tall to enter the area where it was taking place – so the fork lift truck was used instead.In a victim personal statement, Aaron Back said:“Since the incident I am physically ruined.“My left hand side doesn’t work properly. I can’t push off from my toes on my left so I struggle to get up and walk around. My back also causes me excruciating pain.“This accident has destroyed me as a person it has taken away my identity. I miss taking my kids to football.“I have worked hard to improve and get better I want to be that person again.“I worked hard for the company and I have been given a lifetime sentence. I would give anything to be normal again to be back to being me.”The HSE investigation found that no suitable arrangements were in place to manage the company’s contractors and ensure safety on the site. No actions had taken by the company either to ensure a different safe system of working was undertaken.Although the company provided equipment to its labour-only subcontractor there was no training in place for relating to the fork lift truck or scissor lift for Mr Back or his sub-contractor. There was no instruction or procedure in place to ensure only trained operatives could get access to these and no adequate supervision on site.HSE found significant failings by the company relating to unsafe work at height over a prolonged period of time, relevant advice and enforcement was given to them from 2013 regarding control of contractors and unsafe working at height.Falls from height remain the leading cause of workplace death and injury with the latest statistics from HSE showing that they account for over a quarter of all work related deaths in 2025/26.
