Menu

Health and Safety News

Occupational health and safety news and guidance

Firms fined for Lincoln roof fall

A construction firm and a roofing company have been fined for their part in a fall at a Lincoln retail park.

Taylor Pearson Construction Limited was the principal contractor building a new retail unit at The Carlton Centre on Outer Circle Road. The company sub-contracted roof cladding work to Roofwise (Bourne) Limited, which in turn engaged a sub-contract labour team of its own.

On 24 May 2011, the cladding team were installing gutter sections along one side of the roof. As one of the team, a 53-year-old self-employed roofer from Sheffield, attempted to fix the last section of gutter he fell, striking the handrail of a scissor lift before hitting the ground more than eight metres below.

He suffered a fractured pelvis, shattered heel and broken thumb. He spent several weeks in hospital and had to have several metal plates inserted.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that roof edge protection and safety netting had been installed to the majority of the roof, but an indented corner had been left unprotected. It was in this area that the fall occurred.

Taylor Pearson Construction Limited, of Church Road, Martin Dales, Woodhall Spa, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 in relation to the fall. The firm was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,710.

Roofwise (Bourne) Limited of North Street, Bourne, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and was fined £3,000 with £1,710 in costs.

Read more...

Go Back

Comment