An accident in which a worker fell 15ft through a roof onto a concrete floor has highlighted the importance of implementing safe systems for working at height. The incident happened on the roof of an industrial unit in Uttoxeter and it could have easily resulted in the death of the workman involved. His employers were prosecuted and ordered to pay him £7,000 compensation.
On the morning of 2nd April 2007, two employees of a property refurbishment company were working on the roof of a large industrial unit when the guttering between two parts of the roof gave way, causing one of the men to fall 4.5 metres (15 feet) onto the concrete floor of the building. The man sustained very serious injuries, and was lucky to survive. He subsequently recovered and was able to return to work.
At Staffordshire magistrates court it was found that there had not been any attempts to support the roof whilst work was underway, and that the company responsible had not put any safety measures in place to stop anyone from falling off the roof whilst they were working on it. The company involved had already pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws. The case shows the importance of proper supervision, training and equipment for people working at height. In fact, in the construction industry last year, 23 people were killed and 3,409 seriously injured after falls from height.
In the words of a Health and Safety Executive spokesperson, who was commenting on the ruling, “Many incidents could be avoided if companies ensured that they had thought through a safe way of tackling a job, provided all necessary protective equipment and ensured workers were fully trained and properly supervised. Precautions that need to be taken to prevent falls are often simple and there is ample free guidance readily available to help companies take the right action.”
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