Worker seriously hurt after falling through Blackburn roof - company fined £20,000

A company has been fined £20,000 after an employee fell through a roof in Blackburn and was seriously hurt.

The 24-year-old, employed by Hightech Roofing N/W Limited, was repairing a roof on a building in Blackburn when they fell approximately 4.8 metres through a roof light on August 3, 2022. The employee suffered a broken foot and ankle as well as a fractured vertebrae.

What went wrong?

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Hightech Roofing N/W Limited of Failsworth, Manchester, failed to ensure the work on the roof was properly planned, appropriately supervised and carried out in a manner that was as safe as reasonably practicable. While on the roof, operatives used orientated strand boards as crawl boards to move around the roof. The boards were placed where employees needed to step, but did not cover the roof lights, which led to the worker falling.

The company also failed to assess the specific risks arising from the need to work on or over fragile surfaces and failed to consider risks arising from employees working in proximity to the edge of the roof. No edge protection had been installed at the gable end of the building.

Preston Magistrates’ Court

Hightech Roofing N/W Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,858.46 in costs at Preston Magistrates’ Court on May 9.

HSE inspector Sam Eves said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”