A roofing company has been fined £10,000 with nearly £5,000 costs for failing to install edge protection, safety ladders or walkovers on a site that ultimately led to a fatality.
In June 2011, on the Earlstrees Industrial Estate in Corby, a 46-year-old worker fell through a fragile roof while replacing a rooflight, fracturing his skull upon landing on the concrete floor.
His six-metre fall was tragically enough to kill him, in an incident that might have been prevented had walkovers been in place on the fragile roof.
But that was not the only safety failing on the site, as there was no edge protection to prevent falls from height, and no safety ladders to allow for safe access to the roof.
HSE inspector Samuel Russell said: “It is not acceptable to use lesser standards in work methods or safety equipment in any situation, but especially when the work requires more permanent solutions for the longevity of the work.”
The £14,987 cost in fines and fees is for a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005; however, the death of the worker will have far-reaching consequences for his family, friends and colleagues.