Firm fined after roofer fall

Date:

11 November 2011

A roofing firm has been sentenced after one of its employees was injured when he fell from a garage roof in Broughton.

Hawarden Roofing Supplies & Contractors Limited was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at a domestic property on Madeley Close in Broughton on 13 October 2009.

Mold Magistrates' Court heard that 23-year-old Mark Cain, from Broughton, was working on the removal and replacement of a garage roof when he fell more than two metres to the ground below.

He suffered whiplash and two broken bones in his lower back, and has been unable to return to work due to persistent back pain.

The court heard the company failed to notify the HSE of the incident and therefore an inspector did not visit the site to ensure work was being carried out in a safe manner.

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

Hawarden Roofing Supplies & Contractors Limited of 33 Chester Road, Queensferry, Deeside, Flintshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £3,000. It also pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1)(b) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 and it was fined £1,000. The defendant was also ordered to pay full costs of £2,500.95p.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector, Will Gretton said:

"Falls from height continue to be the biggest cause of fatal injuries within the construction industry. The type of injuries for people who fall from height while at work, and survive, can be life-changing, ranging from debilitating back injuries to paralysis.

"This incident was totally foreseeable, but Mr Cain has suffered significant injuries as a consequence of inadequate planning and supervision while working at height.

"Had the incident been reported to the HSE, an immediate Prohibition Notice would have been served on the site and all work stopped until the correct and reasonably practicable measures put in place."

During 2009/10, 503 workers were injured and one worker died while working in construction across Wales. UK-wide, 42 workers died and nearly three quarters of these occurred during refurbishment, repair and maintenance activities.

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. Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 states that every employer shall ensure that work at height is, properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe.
3. Regulation 3(1)(b) 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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Issued on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive by COI News and PR Wales