Scaffolding firm fined after man falls through roof

A construction firm has been prosecuted after a scaffolder suffered multiple injuries when he fell seven metres through a roof in Stoke-on-Trent.

Gary Hampton, a 28-year-old employee of Fred Lewis Scaffold Company Ltd, was installing scaffolding on 30 April 2010 at a factory in Plantation Road, Newstead Industrial Estate, when he fell through the fragile roof.

Fenton Magistrates' Court heard that father-of-three shattered his thigh bone, bruised his lungs, broke both wrists, broke two vertebrae and cracked another.

He was in hospital for six weeks and will never be able to carry out any manual work again as his injuries have left him with pain in his left leg and weak wrists, which will require further surgery.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident found the company did not prepare or survey the job properly at the outset and failed to supervise or train its employees adequately.

Fred Lewis Scaffold Company Ltd, whose registered office is in Birmingham Road, West Bromwich, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £19,000 costs.

HSE inspector Alastair Choudhury said: "This case highlights both the dangers of working on fragile roofs and the continual exposure of scaffolders to the risk of falling from height.

"It is very sad that a man with a family to support is now unable to work as a result of an entirely preventable incident. If Fred Lewis Scaffold Company had carried out an adequate survey of this job before starting work and supervised and trained its employees properly, the risks involved would have been identified.

"Falls from height remain the biggest cause of deaths within the construction industry, and this incident could easily have been fatal. HSE will continue to deal robustly with poorly performing companies in this area.

"Guidance on working safely at height, which includes how to identify and mitigate risks, is available free from HSE. We also undertake major work programmes to communicate safe practices to groups at risk in the industry, including scaffolders."

Information on working safely at height is available at www.hse.gov.uk/falls.