HSE Issues Fragile Roof Warning after Webber’s Conviction
In yet another accident related to negligence at of workplace a Burnley-based company as well as its director has been successfully prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
The accident that took place at ‘Shoe City’ in Gateshead involved an employee named Lucasz Czuba, who fell from a height of seven meters while working on the renovation of a roof top and sustained grievous injuries.
Webber Trading Ltd had been engaged by the building owners to fit steel sheets over plastic rooflights. Czuba was working on the rooflights, when he stepped on one of the unsecured lights and fell seven meters onto the floor below. He received severe injuries in the accident.
The HSE initiated proceedings against Webber and at Gateshead Magistrates Court, the company pleaded guilty to charges of ignoring the regulations of section 2(1) and section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, 1974. It was fined 6,000 pounds in addition to 2,838.20 pounds towards costs and a 15-pound victim surcharge.
The director of Webber, Jeffery Robinson, who was supervising the work, was also fined 1,000 pounds along with a victim surcharge of 15 pounds and costs of 200 pounds after pleading guilty to the same charges that were levied on the company.
HSE Inspector Martin Smith said the company had failed to take the necessary safety measures to prevent such an accident and had failed to conduct a proper risk assessment, which led to the accident.
He also added that in 2007-08, over half of the deaths of construction workers have been on sites where renovation and repair work was being carried out, and as many as 34 of these deaths had occurred on account of falling from heights.
It is a requirement to undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment on all work undertaken where there is a risk of injury as a result of a fall from height, Working at Height training will benefit organisations in helping to minimise the risks of work at height and bring work procedures up to date with the requirements of new legislation.
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