Building site death results in £20k fine
A BUILDING firm has been fined and its director handed a suspended prison sentence after a dad-of-two fell to his death in Carlton.
Yorkshire roofing company Davis Industrial Roofing Limited had subcontracted 39-year-old Jonathan May to work on a storm-damaged warehouse.
He was asked to work on F and G Commercials Limited, on Carlton Industrial Estate, with two others on December 18, 2016, when he fell to his death.
An inquest held earlier this year found that he died from accidental injuries, consistent with falling from height.
It was held at Sheffield’s Medico Legal Centre in April.
Assistant coroner Tanyka
Rawden concluded that Mr May died of multiple injuries.
The work involved the replacement of more than 300 skylights on a ‘fragile asbestos cement roof’ after they had been damaged in a hail storm.
An investigation from the Health and Safety Executive found the firm had failed to provide an appropriate risk assessment, method statement, and suitable fall protection measures so the work could be carried out safely.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety.
They prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses.
It found that poor planning had resulted in a risk assessment which was not sufficient, despite there being reasonably practicable precautions available.
Melvyn Davis, the sole director of the company, had drawn up the assessment himself and had regularly visited the site to monitor progress.
It was found that he had failed to provide protection measures and consented to the use of an unsafe system of work.
The Health and Safety Executive said this constituted ‘a personal neglect for safety during the roof work’.
Speaking after the hearing at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on November 16, HSE inspector Chris Gallagher said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.
“Companies and directors should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Mr Davis, of Field Place in Wakefield, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was sentenced to eight weeks’ imprisonment – suspended for 12 months – and ordered to do 15 days of rehabilitation activity.
The firm Davis Industrial Roofing Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,557.