A roofer cracked his head from a fall while installing roof sheets onto a barn that was under construction at a site in Oswestry.
On 2nd September 2023, he was stood on a roof sheet that he had already installed, attempting to put the next one in place, when he fell to the ground below. His fall resulted in significant injuries, including fractures to his ribs and skull.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that his employer, Dewi Williams Limited, had failed to plan the work properly and put in place measures to prevent or protect against a fall from height. Furthermore, company director Dewi Williams was directly involved in the work himself and had allowed it to be carried out in an unsafe manner.
Dewi Williams Limited of Crickheathe, Oswestry, pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulations 4(1) and 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined آ£15,000 and ordered to pay costs of آ£2,000.
Dewi Williams, of the same address, pleaded guilty to the same breaches by virtue of Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was given a 12-month conditional discharge and ordered to pay آ£1,000 in costs.
HSE inspector Sara Andrews said: “This case emphasises the importance of properly assessing the risks associated with all work at height activities. Suitable control measures should be implemented to minimise the risk of workers falling and suffering injury. Had this work been properly planned, and suitable work equipment provided, this incident would not have happened.
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