27th March 2019

Repair Company Fined £150,000 After Fall From Ladder

What’s Happened?

A Building repair and maintenance company has recently been fined £150,000 after an employee fell two metres from a ladder and injured himself while working on a roof.

An employee of the firm was working alongside one of his colleagues to repair a leaky roof at a property in Felixstowe. They accessed the roof via an unsecured ladder, but as the roofer accessed the ladder it slipped causing him to fall from a height of approximately 2 metres. The worker sustained contusion and bruising to his head along with some hearing damage.

Investigation

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found the assessment of the work prior to the repair works being undertaken on site was inadequate. There was neither a system for checking the correct equipment for work at height was being used, nor for supervision of the work on site. To compound matters it was discovered there was no edge protection provided for the safety of the employees when working on the roof.

The company were prosecuted by the HSE and attended Barkingside Magistrates’ Court where they pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,391.76.

The HSE inspector involved in the case, speaking after the sentencing said:

Roof work requires a high level of planning, and supervision should be in place to ensure it is carried out safely. This incident so easily could have been fatal; work at height is a well-documented, well-regulated risk and there is no excuse for getting it wrong.

If you need help with your procedures for working at height, or with any aspect of Health & Safety, contact us through the website, or call us on 0845 459 1724.