‘Had the drill bit landed even a few centimetres away the consequences could have been imaginable’
The man had been working on a house in this street in Kirk Ella(Image: Hudgell Solicitors)
A Hull construction worker has been awarded a five-figure payout after a drill fell from a ladder into his leg, leaving him with long-term injuries.
The 34-year-old man had been working as a window and door fitter for Conservatec Ltd when the incident occurred at a house in Kirk Ella, which led to him spending time in hospital. The man, who doesn’t wish to be named, inadvertently bumped into the base of a nine-metre high extension ladder as he crouched to fix the entrance of the detached home.
The drill, which had been left unattended by a colleague, was shunted from the top of the ladder and dropped to the floor – sending its eight-millimetre-long bit into the man’s his left calf. He was taken to A&E by colleagues following the incident but his wounds became infected and he had to spend three nights in Hull Royal Infirmary.
Two years on from the incident, which happened on June 19 2024, the man still suffers occasional pain and fears he won’t ever fully recover. Solictiors at Hudgells took up his claim, resulting in an out-of-court settlement of £90,000.
The man said: “They let me go on site in shorts, and that was wrong, but I didn’t really know about that at the time. If I’d have had thick working trousers on, or anything like that, the drill bit might not even have gone into my leg. They didn’t give me any PPE – I think they wanted us to pay for it – and I wasn’t given a hard hat, so it was all a mess.
“When you think about it, I was really, really lucky. Imagine if it (the drill bit) had gone into my head? I wouldn’t be here now, would I? It was horrible. I was in all sorts of pain.
“I’m getting there. I get the odd pain that often leads a lack of movement, but the medical reports say that I won’t be right for quite a while – if ever. I still can’t face going to work and my mum is helping out as I’d struggle on my own. It’s upsetting, sitting on the sofa not being able to do much, but there’s nothing I can do.”
The man now lives with his mother as he requires daily support due to his injuries. Conservatec Ltd was placed into liquidation six months after the incident in 2024.
Liability, however, was accepted on behalf of the employer’s insurers, Aviva. Workplace legal experts Samantha Thompson and Grace Rispin of Hudgells Solicitors negotiated an out-of-court settlement after it was accepted Conservatec had failed in its duty of care by not providing him with a safe place of work.
The man said: “Hudgells have been spot-on from start to finish and I can’t thank Grace and Sam enough for what they did for me. You should also refuse to go on site without a full risk assessment and without the proper PPE as what happened to me was a complete and absolute joke.”
Ms Thompson, a litigation executive and team leader at Hudgell Solicitors, added: “Had the drill bit landed even a few centimetres away from his left calf, the consequences could have been imaginable. Under Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations it was clear that our client’s injuries were caused by Conservatec’s failure to meet the basic standards required in the workplace.
“Conservatec also failed to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety on behalf of our client, who was clearly exposed to a working environment that was clearly not fit for purpose. This is yet another timely reminder that, when it comes to PPE and basic health and safety regulations, no stone should be left unturned. If not, and as our client’s case proved, the consequences can be far-reaching for both employees and employers.”
Conservatec was liquidated with debts of more than £155,000 – £106,000 of which was owed to trade creditors – when it ceased trading in January 2025, with the loss of eight jobs, documents at Companies House show.
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