£39,960 in fines following serious roof fall

Date:

21 June 2010

Release No:

809/SWW/10

Two Gloucestershire companies have been fined after a roofing contractor fell through a skylight and suffered serious head injuries.

Woodgate Sawmills Limited, and Stanley John Frederick Stephens of The Longhope Welding Company (a partnership) were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after Robert Stephens fell through a fragile skylight while working on the roof of a sawmill building at Mile End, Coleford, Gloucestershire.

On 1 June 2007 Mr Stephens, 40, from Longhope, was working for his father, Stanley, alongside fellow Longhope Welding Company employees to raise the roof line of the Woodgate Sawmill building at Mile End, Coleford, when he fell five metres and landed on the concrete floor below, sustaining serious head injuries.

At a hearing before Gloucester Magistrates, Woodgate Sawmills Ltd of Hill Street, Lydney, Gloucestershire pleaded guilty to four breaches of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 and 2007 and was fined a total of £13,320 and ordered to pay costs of £14,443.

Stanley Stephens of Church Road, Longhope, Gloucestershire pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined a total of £26,660 and ordered to pay costs of £14,443.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector, Annette Walker, said:

"This incident highlights the extremely serious risks posed by working at heigh if adequate safety protection measures are not in place.

"The investigation revealed significant failures in the safe systems of work for the removal of the roof sheets and also significant failure to control risks of working at height during all of the stages of the sawmill refurbishment. Robert Stephens was supervising two other employees who were also at risk, one of whom was only 17 at the time of this incident.

"The sawmill remained open during all of the works and employees working below were also at risk from persons or objects falling on them. Robert's fall could easily have proved fatal."

Notes to editors

1. Woodgate Sawmills Limited pleaded guilty to breaching:
   • Regulation 6 (1) (a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 which states: every client shall appoint a planning supervisor in respect of each project.
   • Regulation 6 (1) (b) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 which states: every client shall appoint a principal contractor in respect of each project.
   • Regulation 2 (5) (b) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994 which states: that reasonable steps must be taken to ascertain that adequate resources have been allocated to the project.
   • Regulation 9 (1) (a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which states: that reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that construction work can be carried out without risk to the health and safety of any person.
   • Regulation 9 (2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which states: that the client shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the arrangements for managing the project are maintained and reviewed throughout the work.
   • Regulation 14 (1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which states: that the client shall appoint a project coordinator as soon as practicably possible after the initial design work and other preparations.
   • Regulation 14 (2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 which states: that the client shall appoint a principal contractor as soon as he knows enough about the project to be able to choose an appropriate person.
2. Stanley John Frederick Stephens of The Longhope Welding Company pleaded guilty to breaching:
   • Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which states: it is the duty of every employer to ensure the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
   • Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 which states: it is the duty of every employer to ensure that persons not in his employment are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.
3. Further guidance on working at height can be found on the HSE website at: http://www.hse.gov.uk//falls/index

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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News and PR South West