Local roofer dies after ladder fall

Unfortunately, there has been a terrible tragedy today. A Bolton man has died after falling from a ladder. The 65-year-old roofer, Keith Allan Jackson, was repairing a chimney in Darwen when the accident occurred.

Mr Jackson was descending the ladder and was almost back on firm ground when he fell and suffered fatal head injuries.

After a doctor arrived at the scene via an air ambulance, he was rushed to Royal Blackburn Hospital, but, despite the paramedic’s best efforts, he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards.

A post mortem examination will be held to determine the cause of death, but it is believed that Mr Jackson had a heart attack while on the ladder. He was a self-employed tradesman.

Detectives from Blackburn with Darwen CID were called to the scene after it was reported a man had suffered serious head injuries in an industrial accident.

DI Mark Vaughton, who led the investigation, said: “At this time his cause of death still remains unknown, but I can say there were no suspicious circumstances. I also believe this man did not fall from a great height.”

Was there a way to avoid this?

Although it is believed that Mr Jackson’s fall was caused by a heart attack, the impact clearly made things much worse. So, is there any way it could have been avoided?

This particular case highlights the fact that using other alternative access equipment is usually the best course of action, if possible, because you never know what will happen to make you lose your sense of balance.

If Mr Jackson was using an access tower, work platform or other access equipment, there may have been a different outcome.

Why ladder falls are a major concern at work

Nearly one third of all deaths and major injuries at work are caused by falls from ladders and step ladders.

This comes at a price – costing the UK economy at least £70 million each year. This statistic is directly from the Health and Safety Executive’s report on ‘Costs to Society’ – proving that ladders can be dangerous without good quality ladders or safety training.

On average, 12 people a year are killed at work after falling from ladders and over 1,200 suffer major injuries as a result. And falls from height make up the largest amount of compensation claims.

Employers and employees working at height have understand any potential dangers and the employer must make sure their staff are fully trained to minimise the risks.

It’s important to know the ins and outs of ladder safety by looking into our ladder safety training courses.