One of the largest health boards in Wales has been fined £200,000 after a patient died in its care.

Llandudno Magistrates’ Court heard that 46-year-old Dawn Owen was found unconscious at the Hergest Unit – a secure mental health unit – at Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor on 20 April 2021.

Dawn’s family have called on Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board to act on the findings of a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation, calling her death ‘wholly avoidable’ and ‘completely unnecessary’.

“Staff complacency at all levels contributed in this case, as well as numerous policy breaches and issues between staff and management,” they said.

“We have been tragically let down by the Hergest Unit, who we believed, were providing a safe place for Dawn and the care that she urgently needed.”

The HSE investigation found no risk assessment had been carried out when she was admitted and due to communication failure on transfer to the ward, staff had wrongly relied on an assessment carried out for a previous admission a year earlier. This failure resulted in Dawn’s high risk of self-harm being tragically missed.

Staff also failed to place her in an anti-ligature bed and had de-escalated the completion of regular monitoring checks. Dawn was also provided with a dressing gown and belt, of which the belt was later used as a ligature.

There were several missed opportunities during the course of the admission, where Dawn had expressed the desire to self-harm. This did not trigger any review of the care and management of the patient.

“Dawn was a highly vulnerable person and had been battling her demons and addictions for many years,” the family went on to say.

“She was a bright, happy person who always had a positive attitude. She had a heart of gold and would always help others in need – she would give away her last penny to do so.

“Betsi Cadwaladr must now act on the findings of this investigation and keep vulnerable patients safe at the unit.

“We hope as a family that Dawn may now rest in peace – her battles with mental health are now over.

“We as a family would like to thank the Coroner and HSE for their diligence in ensuring there was a thorough investigation into Dawn’s untimely death.”

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board have pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at work Act 1974 and have been fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £13,174 at Llandudno Magistrates’ Court on 18 December 2023.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Sarah Baldwin-Jones said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided had a thorough risk assessment been carried out on admission, identifying in this case, the change in Dawn’s condition and risk of self-harm.

“Where a patient presents with a risk of self-harm, there is a requirement upon a health board to manage the patient’s safety, to avoid incidents like this. Devices such as reduced ligature beds and removing ligature anchor points and ligatures in the ward environment, can assist staff manage these risks. Importantly, the health board should have trained staff in managing this risk in patients considering self-harm.

“This would enable staff to identify the trigger points and take appropriate actions. The health board also failed to monitor the management of patients, so that any patient emotional or behavioural changes can be identified and managed.

“Health Boards and Trusts should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards. Our thoughts remain with Dawn’s family and friends.”

This prosecution was led by HSE enforcement lawyer Samantha Wells.

Notes to editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

• Company fined for failings in two separate incidents.
• Two workers seriously injured after falling through roofs in separate incidents.
• Business partner at scaffolding firm sentenced following incident in Swansea.

A roofing company has been fined a total of £881,000 after two workers were seriously injured during two separate incidents.

Billy Hewitt, a worker at Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited, fractured his pelvis after falling through a factory roof in Newcastle. Meanwhile, a 24-year-old labourer employed by RM Scaffolding broke his femur after falling through the roof of a building in Swansea while working on a project run by Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated both incidents and prosecuted Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited. Paul Robinson, a business partner at RM Scaffolding, was also prosecuted by HSE following the incident in Swansea.

On 11 November 2019, Billy Hewitt, 60, fractured his pelvis, left wrist and eye socket after falling through the roof of a factory in Throckley, Newcastle upon Tyne.

He had been replacing a skylight when he fell and landed on the concrete floor seven metres below. Billy was in hospital for three weeks after the incident.

Billy, who is from Whickham, said: “You don’t go to work in the morning and expect to end up in intensive care but that’s what happened to me. It’s been four years since my accident and I don’t know really do anything with my days. I really miss work. I was a roofer for 40 years but this accident changed everything because I still can’t work. I used to earn a good wage, but now I’m classed as 51% disabled and I rely entirely on benefits.”

The HSE investigation found Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited failed to properly plan and carry out the work to replace the skylight. The work at height had not been thoroughly assessed as a standalone piece of work. The investigation also found that safety nets were in place on other sections of the roof but not directly underneath the skylight where the accident happened.

HSE guidance can be found at: Work at height – HSE

On 3 June 2019, a scaffold labourer, employed by RM Scaffolding, was crossing a fragile roof when he fell through a skylight at a unit at Plasmarl Industrial Estate in Swansea. The 24-year-old landed on his back approximately 20 feet on the floor below. He fractured his femur and suffered a blood clot in one of his main arteries, which required long-term medication.

HSE found that Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited, the principal contractor for the project, failed to plan, manage and monitor the work undertaken by RM Scaffolding, the sub-contractor, to prevent unsafe work practices being used. Paul Robinson, a business partner at RM Scaffolding, failed to plan the work properly and ensure staff had appropriate skills, knowledge and experience. Robinson also failed to provide appropriate fall protection on the roof.

Following the incident on 11 November 2019, Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited, of London Bridge Street, London, was found guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, following a two-week trial in April 2023. Following a three-day sentencing hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on 6 December 2023, Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited was fined £575,000 and ordered to pay £84,940.08 in costs.

Following the incident on 3 June 2019:

• Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Following a three-day sentencing hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on 6 December 2023, Mitie Tilley Roofing Limited was fined £306,000 and ordered to pay £27,410.63 in costs.

• Paul Robinson, of Laburnam Way, Penarth, Vale of Glamorgan, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. At Newcastle Crown Court, on 5 December 2023, he was sentenced to 120 hours of unpaid community service, to be served within 12 months. He was also ordered to pay £20,428.73 in costs.

HSE principal inspector John Heslop said: “Too many workers are injured or die every year as a result of falling through fragile rooflights without adequate fall prevention or protection measures in place.

“These were both shocking incidents, which had a lasting impact on those who were injured.

“The law is clear about the measures needed to ensure safety when working on fragile roofs and there is a wide range of guidance available from HSE and the Construction industry on correct ways of working. HSE will not hesitate to take action against employers who do not do all that they should to keep people safe.”

Notes to editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

A production company has been fined after a stunt performer was injured during the filming of Fast and Furious 9: The Fast Saga.

Joe Watts, from Surrey, sustained life-changing injuries after he fell approximately 25 feet at Warner Bros. studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire on 22 July 2019.

He had been filming a fight scene for the action movie.

Mr Watts fell 25 feet onto the concrete floor below when the line on his stunt vest became detached.

As a result of his fall, Mr Watts suffered a fractured skull and a severe traumatic brain injury, which has resulted in permanent impairment and disability.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found several failings by FF9 Pictures Limited. FF9 Pictures Limited’s risk assessment failed to address the potential issue of a rope snap or a link failure, there was no system for double checking that the link had been properly engaged and tightened. There was also no system for checking the link for signs of deformation or stretching between takes, the manufacturer’s website stated that the link used was forbidden for use as PPE and shock loading should be avoided. On top of that, six-monthly inspections of harnesses were required but Mr Watts’ harness had not been inspected in the last six months and FF9 Pictures Limited did not extend the crash matting needed to mitigate the consequences of an unintended fall following changes to the set and the sequence of the stunt.

FF9 Pictures Limited, of St. Giles High Street, London, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £800,000 and ordered to pay £14,752.85 in costs at Luton Magistrates’ Court on 24 November 2023.

HSE inspector Roxanne Barker said: “Mr Watts’ injuries were life-changing and he could have easily been killed. In stunt work, it is not about preventing a fall but minimising the risk of an injury.”

This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Rebecca Schwartz and supported by HSE paralegal officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan.

Sentencing, district judge Talwinder Buttar stated Mr Watts is fortunate to be alive and added that she was astonished that the crash matting was not adequate.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

The company that runs The Priory Hospital has been fined for failing to ensure the safety of patients on the hospital’s Emerald Ward following the death of 21-year-old Francesca Whyatt.

Francesca, from Knutsford in Cheshire, was found unconscious at The Priory Hospital in Roehampton, London. She died three days later.

Priory Healthcare has been fined £140,000 after an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Francesca died on 28 September 2013. She had been transferred from a local hospital to the Emerald Ward, a specialist unit at The Priory Hospital, in March 2013.

She was found unconscious in a patient lounge on the top floor of the hospital on 25 September.

Francesca had managed to make her way to the lounge as the hospital responded to an incident involving other patients and used the tights that she was wearing as a ligature.

An investigation by HSE concluded Priory Healthcare Limited failed to ensure the provision of in-patient psychiatric treatment was carried out in such a way that patients were not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

Daniel Whyatt, Francesca’s brother, said his sister was a “truly selfless [and] special individual.”

Daniel said: “The tragic and untimely death of our beloved sister has had a profound impact, and has repercussions well beyond those conceivable to anyone outside of our little family unit. It has invariably ruined all of our lives, and has muddied the precious memories we have of Francesca.

“It is a strange thing to note that it is just as difficult to write her name as it is to speak it, all these years later it is still so raw. We should be able to talk about her fondly, with a smile… instead every mention of her is done so in anger and rage and it feels like being stabbed in the heart.

“It is extremely overwhelming. Francesca had a proclivity for helping everyone she met and changed their lives in positive and meaningful ways, often at her own expense. She was a truly selfless, special and unique individual.”

Priory Healthcare Limited, of Hammersmith Road, Hammersmith, London, pleaded guilty to failing to discharge a duty under Section 3(1) Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £140,000 at Southwark Crown Court on 14 November 2023. Costs will be decided at a later date.

Paul Hems, HSE’s head of operations for London, said: “This incredibly sad case highlights the need for suitable and sufficient systems to be put in place to monitor patients.

“Employers should be aware that HSE will hold to account those who do not comply with health and safety legislation. It should also be noted that similar incidents which have taken place after April 2015 will be enforced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.
4. Following the Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust Public Inquiry and the publication of the Francis Report, the Care Quality Commission (CQC) was given powers to carry out criminal investigations and bring prosecutions. These took effect in April 2015. Since that time, in England, the CQC has been the regulator for patient health and safety matters, with HSE regulating health and safety for workers and members of the public. A revised memorandum of understanding reflecting these changes and setting out areas of responsibility was agreed by the two organisations which is available on HSE’s website. MoU between the Care Quality Commission (CQC) and HSE

A manufacturer of shopping trolleys has been fined after two men fell approximately three metres when a metal cage they were dismantling collapsed beneath them.

On 12^th May 2018, two employees at Wanzl Limited were taking apart a large metal cage as part of an ongoing programme of improvement works at Prologis Park in Coventry.

Following a visual inspection, a decision was made by Wanzl Ltd to hire scaffold towers and scaffolding boards to carry out the work.  Once the scaffold towers had been erected the two employees accessed the roof of the cage.  They began to remove panels one at a time dropping them to the floor inside the walls of the cage.  When several of these panels had been removed the employees noticed that the cage shook in response to movement.  The roof suddenly gave way and both employees fell to the floor below.

One of the men, Michael Barton, who was 52 at the time, suffered a broken pelvis, injured his hip and arm. The now 57-year-old, from Walsall, was off work for 12 months following the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the work had not been properly planned, appropriately supervised, or carried out in a manner that was safe.  No consideration was given to whether dismantling the structure could be carried out without working at height or if the work was within the capabilities of the company’s employees.  None of the employees involved were trained in the assembly of scaffolding towers, and the injured man was not trained in working at height. An investigation by Coventry City Council came to the same conclusion before primacy was handed to HSE.

HSE has guidance on working at height.

At Birmingham Magistrates’ Court on 10 November 2023, Wanzl Limited of Heathcote Lane, Warwick pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £320,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4016.35.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Charlotte Cunniffe said: “Working at height remains one of the leading causes of death and serious injury to workers in the United Kingdom.

“All work at height, including one-off activities which fall outside of a company’s usual business should be properly planned and appropriate work equipment selected.  Employers must assess the competency of their employees when asking them to carry out non-routine work.”

This prosecution was supported by HSE lawyer Nathan Cook.

Notes to editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

Here are some of the stories published by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in October, with the workplace regulator heralding a key milestone in building safety, announcing a new inspection campaign, securing justice and urging employers to try the shout test!

HSE to prosecute Falcon Tower Crane Services Limited following deaths of three men

We started off the month by announcing our prosecution against Falcon Tower Crane Services Limited after a crane collapsed in Crewe and killed three men.

A trial at Chester Crown Court will take place in relation to the incident, which occurred in June 2017, starting on 4 November 2024.

Read more here: HSE to prosecute Falcon Tower Crane Services Limited following deaths of three men | HSE Media Centre

Companies fined as child suffers fractured skull

Three companies were fined last week after a slate tile fractured the skull of a three-year-old girl.

The pre-schooler was placed in an induced coma and required a two-hour operation to remove fragments of slate from her head following the incident.

Read more here: Companies fined as child suffers fractured skull | HSE Media Centre

HSE to visit farms as part of national inspection campaign

Inspectors from HSE will visit farms across England, Scotland and Wales in the coming months as part of a push to change the culture in the farming industry and check for compliance with long standing legal requirements.

The inspectors will also look at risks to members of the public, which often means the management of cattle around public rights of way, as well as child safety on the farm.

Read more here: HSE to visit farms as part of national inspection campaign | HSE Media Centre

BSR register of high-rise buildings represents major momentum for building safety

The Building Safety Regulator’s new regulatory regime has moved further ahead in its vital registration programme of in-scope high-rise residential buildings, that are at least 18 metres or seven storeys tall, with two or more residential units.

Principal Accountable Persons (PAP’s) were given until the 1 October 2023 to register all high-rise residential buildings in England. It is now an offence to allow residents to occupy an unregistered building.

Read more here: BSR register of high-rise buildings represents major momentum for building safety | HSE Media Centre

Company fined £240,000 after Liverpool residents put at risk during removal of dangerous cladding

A HSE prosecution was brought against Green Facades Limited after the company failed to take appropriate precautions to ensure the safety of residents living in a Liverpool apartment block.

When a HSE inspector visited the apartment block, they found cladding, similar to that used on Grenfell Tower, lying on residents’ balconies.

Read more here: Company fined £240,000 after Liverpool residents put at risk during removal of dangerous cladding | HSE Media Centre

Try the shout test – protect workers’ hearing

With around a fifth of the British working population potentially exposed to high noise levels, HSE is now urging workplaces to consider the shout test to manage noise at work and ways to give workers’ ears a break.

Bosses must assess and identify measures to eliminate or reduce risks from exposure to noise so that they can protect the hearing of their workers.

Read more here: Try the shout test – protect workers’ hearing | HSE Media Centre

Construction company fined after serious injury to 16-year-old on work experience

A teenage boy suffered serious injuries after becoming trapped under a tractor while on paid work experience at Earlcoate Construction and Plant Hire Limited.

The teenager’s dad says his son is now more anxious as a result of the incident.

Read more here: Construction Company fined after serious injury to 16-year-old on work experience | HSE Media Centre

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A waste company has been fined over £250,000 after a member of the public was run over by one of its vehicles and died.

The woman was collecting wood from Martins of York’s yard on Osbaldwick Lane, York, when she was hit by a reversing skip wagon on 29 January 2020.

She later died from her injuries.

The woman had regularly attended the site with another woman to collect wood.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident identified that Martins of York had failed to put in place appropriate measures to control access into the main yard area. This allowed unrestricted access to the site so visitors, including members of the public, were exposed to risks from moving vehicles. Martins of York employees working as hand pickers within the yard were also put at risk of being struck by moving vehicles within the area.

HSE guidance can be found at: Waste management and recycling – Transport (hse.gov.uk)

Martins of York Limited, of Park Court, Riccall Road, Escrick, York, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £268,000 and ordered to pay £10,130.32 in costs at York Magistrates’ Court on 27 October 2023.

HSE inspector Darian Dundas said: “Measures should have been introduced to prevent members of the public from being able to enter the yard without authorisation, whilst also ensuring that workers present within the yard were not put at risk from vehicles moving in and around where they were working.

“This incident could so easily have been avoided by carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices.

“It is hoped that this will remind the waste industry of the need to ensure that workplace transport is appropriately considered, with control measures introduced to ensure the appropriate separation of vehicles and pedestrians.”

This HSE prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Jayne Wilson.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A commercial printing company has been fined £100,000 after an employee’s hand was crushed by a laminating machine.

The man had been working for Celloglas Limited at the firm’s site at Cross Green Industrial Estate in Leeds.

He was attempting to fix a laminating machine on 25 November 2020 when his right hand was drawn into the device and crushed between two rollers. The worker, who was 31 at the time, realised the machine had broken while he was feeding the device with paper.

The incident led to the man’s right hand sustaining soft tissue crush injures as well as nerve damage and contact burns to his right wrist. The injuries to his hand meant the man could not drive for seven months following the incident and also led to him suffering with anxiety and PTSD.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident found the laminating machine was not adequately guarded and that the company failed to review existing risk assessments for the machine which required the production of a safe system of work.

HSE guidance can be found at: Managing risks and risk assessment at work – Overview -HSE

Celloglas Ltd, of Exeter Way, Theale Commercial Estate, Theale, Reading, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £5,165.09 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on 30 August 2023.

HSE inspector Darian Dundas commented: “A review of existing risk assessments for the machine should have identified that a safe system of work was required to keep operatives safe from harm. Had such a review taken place then this incident could so easily have been avoided.”

This HSE prosecution was supported by HSE enforcement lawyer Gemma Zakrzewski.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive(HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

An aircraft maintenance company has been fined £230k after a worker fell from height while inspecting wings at its facility in Cardiff.

Iain Mawson, a British Airways Maintenance Cardiff Ltd employee, was placed into an induced coma for three weeks such were the extent of his injuries, which included numerous skull fractures and a brain haemorrhage.

Cardiff Magistrates Court heard how Mr Mawson fell through a gap in the guard rail of the docking platform where safety barriers had been removed.

The 52-year-old also suffered multiple fractures to his ribs, scapula, vertebrae and collar bone as a result of the incident on 10 November 2019 and has not been able to return to work since.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had failed to adequately analyse the risks and avoid removal of guardrail safety barriers or ensure safety barriers were replaced.

British Airways Maintenance Cardiff Ltd of Waterside, PO Box 365 Harmondsworth  UB7 0GB pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974  and has been fined £230,000 and ordered to pay costs of £21,623.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Sara Lumley 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.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise.
2. More information about the legislation referred to in this case is available.
3. Further details on the latest HSE news releases is available.

A plant hire company has been fined for leaving workers at risk of a fall from height and failing to provide minimum welfare facilities.

Blackpool Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 17 November 2020, Ruttle Plant (Birmingham) Ltd was in the process of building a new aggregate recycling facility at their site at Common Bank Lane, Chorley. Part of the work included the provision of cladding to the roof, which was carried out using a cherry picker. However, as some areas of the roof were difficult to reach, employees had to step onto the roof where no edge protection had been provided, putting them at risk of a 30ft fall. In addition, workers had been on site for some considerable time without the minimum required welfare facilities being available. This included facilities for hand washing during the height of the Covid pandemic.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the workers had been left unsupervised by site management, there had been no method statement to follow when they climbed onto the roof and there were no preventative measures in place to prevent the risk of a fall from height. Workers were also expected to drive to the company’s head office along an unadopted roadway more than five minutes’ drive away to use the toilet, despite there being ample room on the site for facilities.

Ruttle Plant Hire (Birmingham) Ltd of Lancaster House, Ackhurst Road, Chorley, Lancashire pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 13(4)(c) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, and Regulation 4(1) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £66,667 and ordered to pay costs of £1,847.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Christine McGlynn said: “Had a worker fallen off the roof edge, it could have been fatal. Employers should ensure that workers are not left to carry out high risk roof work without supervision.

“Work at height and roof work should only be carried out by trained workers, who are being robustly monitored, following proper planning, risk assessment and using suitable equipment. The minimum standards for welfare must also be met.”

Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: Construction- Roof work industry health and safety 
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk