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Employer jailed after employee falls from height - 13-05-2008 |
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is warning companies to ensure its employees working at height have proper safety equipment and that the risk to them is fully assessed.
The warning comes after the proprietor of a South Wales roofing company was jailed for 10 months and was ordered to pay nearly £18k costs after admitting a manslaughter charge in relation to the death of one of his employees who fell through a skylight at a retail unit in Cwmbran.
Daniel Dennis, 17, from Pyle, Bridgend, suffered serious injuries after falling through the skylight and nearly 30ft onto the floor below while employed with a company trading as North Eastern Roofing. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) later brought manslaughter charges against the company's owner, Roy Clark, from Cefn Cribbwr, Bridgend.
HSE investigated the incident which happened in 2003, and its evidence formed part of the CPS prosecution of Mr Clark.
The HSE is currently running a campaign aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of falls, slips and trips in the workplace. Called "Shattered Lives" the construction industry is one of the main areas being targeted. Last year alone, 45 workers in the UK died following a fall from height, and a further 3750 were seriously injured.
HSE Inspector Dean Baker said:
"This tragic case demonstrates the need for employers to take serious steps to ensure anyone working at height is properly trained, and given appropriate equipment to do their job safely.
"These measures had not been taken in this case, and Daniel Dennis was never given any training or induction for working at height.
"Falls from height very often result in serious injury and death - it costs businesses and society money and ultimately can costs lives."
HSE advises that employers should ensure:
- all work at height is properly planned and organised;
- those involved in work at height are competent;
- the risks from work at height are assessed and appropriate work equipment is selected and used;
- the risks from fragile surfaces are properly controlled; and
- equipment for work at height is properly inspected and maintained
| Falls from Height
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