A FIRM has been fined £40,000 after a cleaner was hurt in a fall at Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station.

Kieron Walker, 18, broke his leg and 11 ribs after falling down a 6.5m (21ft) shaft.

Yesterday Carillion (AMBS) Ltd, of Glasgow, was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £8,300 costs by Nottingham magistrates after earlier pleading guilty to breaching regulations for working at height.

It also admitted failing to ensure work was properly planned and supervised and failing to take measures to prevent a fall, in relation to the accident in October 2007.

Mr Walker was asked to clean ducts supplying air to the boilers. He was provided with a harness and given instructions, but not provided with training on how to use it. He unclipped himself from a girder he was secured to, but then fell. He has been unable to return to work.

HSE inspector Sian Tiernan said: "Every month over 1,000 people suffer serious injuries as a result of slips, trips or falls in the workplace.

"These shattering injuries can be avoided by sensible and proportionate management of the risks, but sadly that was not done in this case."