Herdsman died after falling through dairy skylight

Date:

18 December 2012

A herdsman died after carrying out unplanned and unsupervised repair work on a dairy roof and falling through a plastic skylight, a court heard today (18 December).

William Luscombe (65) of Whitstone, near Holsworthy was carrying out the work for his employer, TRD Griffin and Son Partnership at Willsworthy Farm, North Tamerton on 14 October, 2010 when the incident happened.

Exeter Crown Court fined Roy Griffin, a partner in TRD Griffin and Son Partnership, a total of £5,000 and ordered him to pay £8,800 in costs, in the case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The court was told Mr Luscombe had been lifted onto the roof in the bucket of a telehandler to carry out repairs. Plastic skylights are widely known to be fragile and liable to fail if someone stands on them.

As he was working, Mr Luscombe fell three metres onto the concrete floor below, sustaining serious head injuries. He was airlifted to Derriford Hospital in Plymouth but later died of his injuries.

The HSE investigation found that no plans had been made for the work, as required under law, despite a sign at the site which warned of a fragile roof on the dairy.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector, Georgina Speake, said:

"Mr Luscombe, although an experienced herdsman, did not have any training for working on roofs and was working without supervision. No equipment was provided which could have prevented or mitigated the effects of a fall, such as safety nets or suitable boarding.

"Although crawling boards were present on the farm, they had not been used and were too narrow to provide effective safe access on the roof. The use of a telehandler bucket was also an inappropriate way to gain access to the roof itself.

"Falls through roofs are all too common and can result in serious or even fatal injuries. Work must be properly planned and appropriate safety equipment provided to minimise the risks involved."

Further information on how to reduce the risk of falls from height can be found on the HSE website at www.hse.gov.uk/falls

Roy Griffin, of Willsworthy Farm, North Tamerton, Holsworthy pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

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 Act states: "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."

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