A roofing contractor has been fined £60,000 after an employee fell six metres and suffered multiple fractures.
Basingstoke Magistrates’ Court heard that on 21st June 2017, a man fell while working on the roof at a premises in Basingstoke. He was working alongside two other roofers as part of a 10-week roof replacement project. The old asbestos cement sheet roof was being removed and replaced with trisomet sheeting.
At the time of the incident, the team member and his colleague were working up on the roof while another colleague was working within the building to remove bolts from the underside of the old roof. The team member fell 6.7m from the open edge of the roof to the concrete floor below, sustaining multiple fractures.
An investigation by the HSE found that the contractors in question had failed to properly plan and appropriately supervise the work to ensure that the risks created by working at height on a roof was carried out in a safe manner.
The contractors pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,164.80.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Sharron Cripps said: “Falls from height remain the most common cause of work-related fatalities and serious injuries in the construction industry and the risks associated with working at height are well-known.
“Working at height, with large open edges can be particularly dangerous and it is important that those in control of the work identify the risks posed by replacing roofs and then take appropriate control measures to safeguard workers and others, to ensure that the risks are being managed.”
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