An Ilkley based roofing firm is believed to be the first company to be successfully fined using the powers in the Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008, after a roofer sustained serious head injuries due to a fall.
In January 2009 a roofer suffered a fractured skull after falling through a skylight while replacing a roof at a garage in Skipton. The roofer fell about 2 metres and then struck a tower scaffold that had been part of the working platform. After this, he fell a further 2 metres onto a concrete floor, where he hit his head on a metal vehicle lift and fractured his skull.
An investigation by the HSE found that there were no coverings in place on any of the roof skylights to prevent falls. The company had also instructed its employees to erect the tower scaffold, although they were not trained to do so. As a result of this no handrail was installed and the actual platform was too low to break the man’s fall.
The HSE prosecuted the roofing company for 3 safety breaches over the incident. The company pleaded guilty to each of the 3 charges under the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Skipton Magistrates' Court, and was fined £23,500 in total and ordered to pay costs of £3452.
The fines are much greater than in previous similar cases as 2 of the 3 breaches continued on the day after the incident. The new Health and Safety (Offences) Act 2008 means that Magistrates have greater power to penalise guilty parties financially.
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