Roofing company fined after worker falls from height
A roofing company was sentenced today for safety breaches after a worker fell about three metres through a roof light and suffered a fractured pelvis and spinal injuries.
Leeds Magistrates court heard how, on 17 March 2016, a self-employed roofer, working for PNR Roofing and Building Services Limited (PNR), was on a roof laying wooden ‘lats’ and roofing felt, when he fell through a sky light that was covered with felt. PNR was subcontracted to carry out roof work at Globe Mills in Slaithwaite.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that whilst PNR initially provided air bags as a means of mitigating any falls by employees, the air bags had been moved to remove debris and the worker hit the floor instead.
PNR Roofing and Building Services Ltd of Park View, Shafton, Barnsley pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and has been fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £1,100 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Tilley commented: “Falls from height through fragile surfaces and skylights remain one of the most common causes of work related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply adopting reasonably practicable safe working practices such as using netting instead of relying on fall bags”
Notes to Editors:
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk[1]
More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/ [2]
HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk[3]
For a guide to doing it the right way, see: http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg33.htm
