A roofing company in Lewisham has appeared in court after it breached safety failings, leaving a worker seriously injured when he fell five metres at a property in Bromley.
22-year-old Daniel Dennis fractured his back and pelvis and also broke his arm in the incident, which happened in January 2013.
The man’s employer, Element Roofing Co. Ltd, was prosecuted in April this year after a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that the company should have done more to prevent the fall.
Westminster Magistrates’ Court was told that Mr Dennis had been working with a colleague to replace lead flashings on a roof when the incident happened. The pair were working on a domestic property but as they went about their work, Mr Dennis fell, dropping five metres and landing on the pavement below.
The HSE found that there had been no measures put in place to prevent or mitigate a fall, such as safety harnesses or edge protection. The company was fined £7,000 as well as costs totalling £1,993.20 after it pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Toby Webb said: “This was an entirely preventable incident. The risks of falling during roof work are clear and there is readily available guidance from HSE and others on the action to be taken to prevent falls. As a result Mr Dennis suffered serious injury and his colleague was also placed in danger as he too could have fallen at any time.”
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