An incident involving a construction company in Manchester has resulted in a substantial fine, highlighting serious safety oversights.
- A young employee suffered significant injuries after falling through a roof light due to inadequate safety measures.
- Investigations revealed poor planning and supervision by Hightech Roofing N/W Limited during a Blackburn roof repair.
- The Health & Safety Executive identified multiple breaches, including failure to secure the roof’s edge and assess specific risks.
- The company admitted to violating safety regulations and was fined £20,000, with additional court costs.
An incident in Manchester has drawn attention to the critical importance of adhering to safety regulations within the construction industry. The unfortunate event occurred when a 24-year-old employee of Hightech Roofing N/W Limited, while engaged in roofing repairs in Blackburn, fell nearly five metres through a roof light. This fall resulted in severe injuries, including multiple broken bones such as vertebrae.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation which uncovered a concerning lack of proper planning and supervision. Hightech Roofing N/W Limited failed to execute the work in a manner that safeguarded their workers, with operatives using orientated strand boards as crawl boards that were placed inadequately, failing to cover dangerous roof lights.
Furthermore, the company’s negligence extended to a lack of risk assessment for working over fragile surfaces and neglecting adequate edge protection at the gable end of the structure. These safety oversights contributed directly to the accident, which could have been prevented with appropriate safety protocols in place.
The judicial process culminated in Hightech Roofing N/W Limited pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. As a result, the company was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £5,858.46 in legal costs by Preston Magistrates’ Court on 9th May 2024. HSE inspector Sam Eves emphasized the preventable nature of the incident and warned of rigorous enforcement against companies that fail to meet safety standards.
This incident underscores the vital need for rigorous safety protocols in construction to prevent workplace accidents.
