Prosecutions

The worker was measuring a damaged skylight at the firm’s premises when it gave way and he fell seven and a half metres onto the floor of the tool room below.

The incident happened on 16 November 2009 when the employee climbed onto the roof alone to take measurements of the skylight, which had been damaged in an earlier incident.

As he leaned forward onto the skylight it shattered and he fell through the panel almost 25 feet to the floor below. He suffered a fractured wrist and finger, broken ribs, cuts and bruising and was off work for nine weeks.

The company pleaded guilty to regulation 4(1) and 9(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Milton Keynes Magistrates' Court.

The company was fined £3,200 and ordered to pay £4,145 in costs in the case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

A HSE Inspector said:

"The employee was incredibly lucky he was able to walk away from this when so often, falls from this sort of height are fatal.

"This incident was entirely preventable and demonstrates what little control there was at the site. The employee should never have been allowed to venture onto the roof alone.

"Falls through roofs during maintenance tasks are a well-known risk. This case highlights the need for employers to consider the risks associated with this practice and have proper systems in place to control them."