Horticultural company Ball Colegrave was prosecuted by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) after an employee tasked with watering hanging baskets came off his ladder.
The incident took places in Banbury on 7th June 2023.
As the man climbed the ladder, it fell and collapsed under him, resulting in five broken ribs and a partially collapsed lung.
The subsequent HSE investigation found that Ball Colegrave had failed to ensure that work at height was planned and carried out in a manner that was, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe.
Ball Colegrave Limited of West Adderbury, Banbury pleaded guilty to contravening a requirement of section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined 拢80,000 and was ordered to pay 拢7,061 costs at a hearing at Oxford Magistrates鈥� Court on 14th October 2025.
HSE inspector Rebecca Gibson said after the hearing: 鈥淭his incident highlights the duty on employers to ensure that should do all they can to minimise the risk from working at height. If work at height isn鈥檛 properly planned and unsuitable work equipment is used, people can fall and sustain serious injuries. Falls from height remains a leading cause of workplace injury and death.鈥�
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