A construction company and a roofing company have been fined after a worker fell through a fragile mesh roof whilst carrying out work at height.
The Crown Court heard how, on 21 July 2016, the injured person had been in the process of installing a roof on a new fast food Drive Thru. Whilst moving materials on the roof, he stepped backwards onto an adjacent fragile mesh roof that was not load-bearing, falling approximately three metres and suffering multiple fractures of his lower left back.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that in failing to prevent access to the fragile roof area, the roofing contractor, had failed to plan and carry out the work at height in a safe manner. The investigation also found the construction company who were acting as principal contractor, had failed to plan, manage or monitor an aspect of the construction phase without risk to safety.
The construction company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and was fined £225,000 with £8,000 costs.
The roofing company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £2,000.
After the hearing, the HSE inspector said: “This incident highlights the importance of thorough risk assessment, appropriate planning and adhering to a safe system of work that is regularly monitored and managed by those in control of that work.”