Carmarthenshire man fined after roofer fall

Date:

14 November 2011

A man has been fined after his employee was injured when he fell from a roof at a Carmarthenshire farm.

Anthony William John Daniel, trading as Towy Valley Fabrications was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at Plasbach Farm in Ffairfach, near Llandeilo on 15 April 2011.

Ammanford Magistrates' Court heard that Daniel Elliot, 24, from Nottingham was an inexperienced steel erector and had been employed by Mr Daniel to assist in the construction of a new pitched roof between existing buildings on the farm.

The work involved the demolition of a small existing roof, and the installation of new steel frames between the buildings.

The skylight through which Mr Elliot fell

Mr Elliot was standing on the roof of one of the existing buildings and pulling up an electrical extension cable, when he stepped backwards onto a fragile PVC skylight and fell 5.5m to the ground below.

Mr Elliot broke two bones in his spine in the fall, fractured his pelvis and suffered an injury to his arm which required stitches. He has not been able to return to work as a steel erector and is now pursuing an alternative career.

The court heard the defendant had failed to notify the HSE of the incident at the time.

HSE was eventually made aware of the incident by Mr Elliot's mother and a subsequent investigation was launched. It found that Mr Daniel had failed to properly plan and supervise work at height activities, and ensure that appropriate measures were in place to control the associated risks.

Anthony William John Daniel, trading as Towy Valley Fabrications of The Brambles, Llanwrda, Carmarthenshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995. He also pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

He was fined £6,500 and ordered to pay £2,651 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector, Phil Nicolle said:

The skylight through which Mr Elliot fell

"Anthony Daniel undertook the erection of a steel framed agricultural building with little understanding of the need for the safety measures that routinely apply to such construction work. He employed an inexperienced worker and exposed him over the course of several days, to risks of a fall from height ultimately resulting in the fall of 5.5m which caused serious injury. Mr Daniel then failed to notify HSE of the incident.

"There is no room for complacency when undertaking work at height in the construction industry. The risks are well known. Employers must ensure the work at height is planned, managed and supervised by competent people and where they are undertaking any of those roles themselves that they are competent to do so."

More information on preventing falls in the workplace is available at www.hse.gov.uk/falls

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states that It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.
3. Regulation 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 states that if any person at work suffers a major injury as a result of an accident arising out of or in connection with work, the responsible person shall notify the relevant enforcing authority thereof by the quickest practicable means; and Within 10 days send a report thereof to the relevant enforcing authority on a form approved for the purposes of this sub-paragraph, unless within that period he makes a report thereof to the Executive by some other means so approved.

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