An investigation by the HSE found that the work had only been planned from photographs and that no site visit had taken place before starting the work. The dimensions of the building were not known to the contractor. This meant the cherry picker hired to allow safe access to height did not reach all parts of the structure that were to be repaired.
To complete the work, workers had to leave the safety of the cherry picker basket and used boards found on site to work on the fragile roof. It was whilst doing this that slipped and fell through the fragile roof, landing on the concrete floor below.
Camclad Contractors Limited of Wyboston Lakes, Great North Road, Wyboston, Bedfordshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £225,000 with costs of £10,000.
A director of the company, Dominic Lakeman-Pettit also of Great North Road, Wyboston, Bedfordshire pleaded guilty to breaching section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was sentenced to four months in prison suspended for 12 months and ordered to carry out 200 hours unpaid work. He was also ordered to pay costs of £1,000.
Speaking after the case, HSE principal inspector Damian Corbett said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information and instruction to their workers in the safe system of working.
“If the work had been adequately planned, it would have provided a suitable safe system of work and prevented the risk of falls through fragile materials. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those who fall below the required standards.”
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