The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has issued a warning to companies to make sure their employees are fully informed about using safe working practices whilst working at height.
The warning follows the prosecution of D A Carter Ltd from Burscough who were fined £7,500 and ordered to pay £5,000 costs after an employee died after falling 6 metres from a warehouse roof onto a concrete floor.
D A Carter Limited pleaded guilty to an offence under Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in that they did not take reasonably practicable, suitable and effective measures to prevent anyone falling from height during work on a fragile roof at Winnington Warehousing Limited in Northwich.
Employee Mr Michael Alty climbed up a ladder to replace translucent lights on a roof made from asbestos cement sheets. The asbestos sheet gave way and he fell approximately 6m to the concrete floor below.
Mr Alty was taken to Leighton Hospital but later transferred to the Royal Staffordshire Infirmary where he later died.
It was found that the company had not completed a risk assessment for the work and had failed to provide suitable and sufficient measures to prevent falls. Access to the roof lights was achieved by walking across the asbestos cement roof.
Sarah Wadham, HSE Construction Inspector commented:
"It is essential that companies carry out a risk assessment before any work at height to minimise the possibility of an incident.
"Falls are preventable when work is planned properly, the risks are accurately assessed, and the correct equipment is used.
This was an unnecessary loss of a young man's life."
