Cash and carry employee plunged 15ft through fragile ceiling

A cash and carry employee plunged more than 15ft to the ground through a fragile plasterboard ceiling at his work.

Roman Khan, 24, fell from a mezzanine to the concrete floor and suffered a skull fracture and bleeding near the brain on November 5, 2017.

His wife, a trainee GP, had to give up her career plans to look after her husband, who ended up in a wheelchair.

Alfa Wholesale Limited, a cash and carry in Glasgow’s Anderston, claimed responsibility for failing to acknowledge the dangers posed by the plasterboard.

On Friday, the company, which has a yearly turnover of more than £18m, pleaded guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court for failing to ensure the safety of its employees.

The court heard Mr Khan was alone in the mezzanine area collecting stock when he stepped on “fragile plasterboard”.

Prosecutor Lynne Jamieson said: “The injured party fell a distance of 5.6 metres onto the concrete floor on the ground of the corridor area.”

A colleague heard a bang and discovered Mr Khan on the ground unconscious.

Mr Khan was “unresponsive” and was diagnosed as having a skull fracture and bleeding. He also sustained a bruised right lung and rib fractures.

After being put into an induced coma, he was transferred to intensive care and remained in hospital for seven weeks.

Miss Jamieson said: “The victim had difficulties swallowing, was unable to walk, problems tasting food, hearing loss and required a wheelchair.

“He had no memory of the incident and has been left with difficulties maintaining concentration and hearing impairment.”

The company paid for Khan’s future therapy and reported the incident to the local council, which carried out an investigation.

Miss Jamieson said: “The incident happened as a result of the company’s failure to identify the risk of staff accessing the stock stored near to the fragile plasterboard ceiling on the mezzanine area.”

It was also revealed that earlier risk assessments failed to flag up the dangers.

Callum Jamieson, defending, apologised to Mr Khan and his family on behalf of the company.

He stated the firm had “overlooked” the risk and Alfa have since changed companies for future risk assessments.

Sentence was deferred until later this month by Sheriff Joseph Platt.