2:42pm Tuesday 7th September 2010
By Sam Chadderton
A MAN has been taken to hospital after falling from the roof of a vehicle repairs building.
Emergency services were called to Abbott Car Repairs at Hollin Bridge Street Works, Blackburn, around 9am on Tuesday.
It is believed a 57-year-old man was stood on an internal ceiling checking the roof for leaks when he fell through on to the concrete floor.
Caroline McCartney, business manager at Abbott's, said: "It was a terrible accident, but luckily he's not too seriously injured. He stepped on a glass panel and fell through on to the floor. He has suffered small glass cuts.
"The man is not our employee. He is subcontracted to us and was checking the building when this happened.
"We were told that the air ambulance was sent because there were no land ambulances available. He is still in hospital"
A spokesman for the North West Ambulance Service said he sustained leg and back injuries. It is thought his injuries are not life-threatening.
"The air ambulance was allocated to Hollin Bridge Street as other nearby ambulances were responding to incidents, however when a land vehicle was available it too was allocated.
"Both the air ambulance and land ambulance arrived at the same time and the patient was taken to hospital in the land vehicle."
Local residents watched on as police cordoned off the road, close to the canal bridge, and the North West Air Ambulance landed feet from a row of terraced homes.
Jackie Woodhouse, 42, of Hollin Bridge Street, said: “There was a lot of noise and the air ambulance landed right outside my house.
“I hope he’s not seriously injured.”
Neighbour Denise Haslam, 50, her son Ian, 28, and granddaughter Alice Marie, six months, came out to watch and Denise photographed the air ambulance coming in to land.
She said: “Thankfully by the sounds of it, it is not as serious as first thought.”
Police contacted the Health and Safety Executive, which deals with work-placed accidents and has launched an investigation.
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