Coast roofing companies fined over skylight fall

TWO Gold Coast roofing companies have copped hefty fines after a worker suffered a brain injury from falling through a skylight.

In 2019, SOKO Construction and Roofing Pty Ltd engaged Hutchinson Roofing Australia Pty Ltd director Luke Hutchinson to do roofing work on a large shed near Kingaroy.

On Dec 2 2019, one of the sole traders engaged by Mr Hutchinson and his company was working on the shed’s roof near the skylight.

He removed two metal bars and stepped onto a polycarbonate sheet covering the skylight.

The sheet broke under the weight and the worker crashed through the skylight, falling about four metres onto the concrete floor below, Southport Magistrates Court heard.

He suffered a skull fracture, bleeding between the brain and skull, bleeding from the ear as well as a fractured rib and vertebrae. The worker underwent brain surgery and spent eight days in hospital after the fall.

The court was told Mr Hutchinson, 34, was remorseful for what occurred and co-operated with a Workplace Health and Safety Qld investigation.

Mr Hutchinson and his company each pleaded guilty to the charge of failure to comply with health and safety duty. The charge attracts a maximum penalty of $1.5m for a company and $300,000 for an individual.

The court was told both Mr Hutchinson and the company had taken steps since to ensure a safe workplace and had no previous history.

However, both companies and Mr Hutchinson were aware the polycarbonate sheeting could break under the load and steps were not taken to remediate the risk.

Hutchinson Roofing Australia Pty Ltd was fined $50,000 and Mr Hutchinson was fined $10,000. No convictions were recorded.

SOKO Construction and Roofing Pty Ltd was also fined $50,000 after pleading guilty in Southport Magistrates Court last year.