A glass firm has been fined £80,000 after an experienced contractor fell six metres through a fragile roof.
The contractor was carrying out snagging repairs to the building in Liverpool on 22 May 2017. The 36-year-old accessed a part of the old roof made of fragile asbestos cement sheets, which gave way. He fell through the sheets to the ground below sustaining fatal injuries. The area accessed did not have safety nets fitted and the building occupier failed to take reasonably practicable measures to reduce the risk to those working on the roof, investigators told Liverpool Crown Court.
The owners of the building pleaded guilty to breaching section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6656.
Speaking after the hearing, Health and Safety Executive inspector Andrew McGrory said: ‘The risks from working on fragile surfaces are well known. Businesses have a responsibility to ensure that the contractor they select to undertake any construction work devise safe methods of doing so, which should include providing the necessary information to their workers and ensuring that they are adequately supervised.
The prosecution of his employer is ongoing.
Source – IOSH
