Man dies after horror fall from scaffolding

Nov 19 2009 by Michael Byrne, Skelmersdale Advertiser

A HOMEOWNER has told of his shock over the death of a workman who fell from scaffolding on his house and how he tried to save his life.

The joiner was on scaffolding at the side of the house when he fell about 20ft.

He had only been at the Bromilow Road house for a couple of hours.

John Washington said: “It has been a terrible shock for us all. We had only met him that day and we feel really sorry for his family over what has happened. When people work on your house the worst injury you would expect would be that they might cut their hands or hit a finger with a hammer. You never expect something like this.

“He was working on wooden roof supports and must have lost his footing. It was very scary”.

John's wife Julie said: “John hasn’t been able to sleep after what happened. He’s been pacing up and down at night thinking about it.

“I was bringing the children home from school when I saw what had happened. We managed to shield them from seeing the man’s body but it has still been a terrible shock for them.”

John was sat in his house at about 3pm when he heard something crash.

He said: “At first I thought some building materials had fallen.

“When I got outside I saw one of the men he was working with, trying to wake him up. I thought he had fallen over, it never crossed my mind that he had fallen off the roof until his colleague said I should call an ambulance.

“I was taking instructions from the ambulance operator and shouting them to the man with the worker who fell, telling him to keep talking to him. .”

The incident happened on Monday, November 9. The joiner was taken to hospital where he died the following day.

A Health and Safety Executive spokesman said: “We are investigating this incident with the police.”