Builder fined after worker’s fall from height

Builder fined after worker’s fall from height

Key Facts: 

• Roofing work was poorly supervised and undertaken without safety equipment
• Worker in fall from height of nearly six metres and was ‘lucky not to have lost his life’ in the incident
• Partner fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,717 in costs as a result of the health and safety failings.

The case:

A 24 year old male sustained multiple injuries whilst working on the roof of a garage in Saltash in December 2012 when he sustained multiple injuries after a fall from height of almost six meters to the ground. The HSE investigator commented that he was “lucky not to have lost his life in this incident.”

The worker was carrying a bucket across the roof to a colleague when he fell through one of the Perspex roof lights. No placing boards with edge protection had been put in place to prevent a fall from height, and a further two workers were put at risk of also falling through the roof lights.

The case was investigated by the HSE, and the person in control of the work was prosecuted at Plymouth Magistrate’s Court at on 20/02/15. The HSE found that the person supervising the work had no qualifications in roofing or work at height, and that there had been no measures put in place to ensure that the task was undertaken safely. The responsible person was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £5,517 in costs.

What the HSE Inspector had to say:

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Helena Allum stated that:

“Mr Borkiewicz suffered severe multiple injuries, including head injuries and experienced great pain but was lucky not to have lost his life in this incident. Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths and it’s crucial that employers make sure work is properly planned, appropriately supervised and that sufficient measures are put in place to protect staff from the risks. There is no excuse for employers failing to safeguard workers who have to work at height.”

What the law states:

Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Heights Regulations states that:

Every employer shall ensure that work at height is (a) properly planned; (b) appropriately supervised; and (c) carried out in a manner which is so far as is reasonably practicable safe, and that its planning includes the selection of work equipment in accordance with regulation 7.

Further information on work at height can be found here

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