Worker falls through fragile roof

Grimsby Magistrates court heard how, between 11 September 2016 and 1 October 2016, the employee of Broadley Roofing Ltd was working on a roof while the company were carrying out external refurbishment of the warehouse of a former retail store at Skippingdale Industrial Estate. Scunthorpe. On 30 September 2016, the worker was on the roof working when he fell six metres on to a solid concrete floor. He suffered numerous fractures including his vertebrae, shoulder, ankle, and ribs.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that while unsecured boards had been provided to cover nearby roof lights, the company failed to provide any other control measures to prevent falls through the roof while the roof sheets were being replaced.

Broadley Roofing Limited of Hebden Road, Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire pleaded guilty to breaching both Regulation 4(1) and Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and has been fined £53,000 and ordered to pay £2,465.15 in costs

 After the hearing, HSE inspector Alison Outhwaite commented: “Work at height, such as roof work, is a high-risk activity that accounts for a high proportion of workplace serious injuries and fatalities each year.

“This incident could have been avoided had the company ensured that appropriate measures were in place to prevent falls, in line with industry standards for roof work.”