A COMPANY director has been fined hundreds of pounds after a teenage employee was injured in a 9ft fall at work.

The 17-year-old worker was employed by Ascot-based firm RJE Construction when it happened on a job in Neepsend Lane, Sheffield.

Sheffield Magistrates' Court heard that the teenager and two others were building a mezzanine floor when the young worker stepped on a loose board and fell.

The employee plunged 2.8m - the equivalent of 9.1ft - to the ground floor below sustaining cuts and bruises on February 28, 2019.

The court heard how an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that safety nets had not been put in place before boarding commenced.

No other 'fall from height protection' was present to prevent or mitigate falls through the mezzanine floor during construction.

As a result, RJE Construction director Wayne McKnight, of Park Crescent in Sunningdale, pleaded guilty to breaching working at height regulations.

He was ordered to pay a £500 fine and £1,300 in court costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Sarah Robinson said: “Falls from height often result in life-changing or fatal injuries, which thankfully did not eventuate here.

"In most cases, these incidents are needless and could be prevented by properly planning the work to ensure that effective preventative and protective measures are in place.

“This incident could have easily been prevented if the company had installed safety nets prior to work starting on the mezzanine.”