November 15, 2022
Fines issued after man installing bird deterrent spikes fell from roof
From our colleagues at Barbour EHS.
An engineering company has been fined after one of its employees fell through a roof while installing bird deterrent spikes.
On 13 May 2020, a man working for Craven and Nicholas (Engineering) Ltd on St John’s Road in Boston, stepped onto a fragile roof surface and fell six metres through it. He suffered serious injuries to his head and left arm.
Investigating, the HSE found that this task was not part of the normal work for employees of the company and they had not properly risk assessed and planned the work at height.
The lack of planning meant that reasonably practicable and recognised control measures that could have prevented the man falling from height, such as the use of purpose designed access equipment and over-boarding of fragile roof surfaces, had not been implemented.
At Lincoln Magistrates Court, Craven and Nicholas (Engineering) Ltd of St Johns Road in Boston pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 4(1)(a) and 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay £6,541.80 in costs.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said: “Where work at height cannot be avoided, it should be properly planned, adequately supervised and carried out in a safe manner using appropriate equipment.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Article powered by Barbour.
Our Comments
“Falls from height are one of the biggest causes of workplace fatalities and major injuries. Work at height means work in any place where, if there were no precautions in place, a person could fall a distance liable to cause personal injury. Common causes are falls from ladders and through fragile roofs. The Work at Height Regulations 2005 aim to prevent death and injury from a fall from height. For any further advice, please get in touch with us.”
Contact
At William Martin we have a nationwide team of experts who offer a comprehensive range of health and safety compliance services. As part of the Marlowe Software, Risk & Compliance division, William Martin also has access to a wider range of complementary services.
This content has been produced in association with our sister company, Barbour.
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