An industrial roofing company in the UK has been fined after a worker fell through an asbestos cement roof, resulting in significant injuries.
DPM Industrial Roofing Limited (DPM) faced the North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court over the incident from March of 2017. It was heard in court that the company had been engaged by another business to undertake work on the fragile pitched roof at a site in Burslem.
The work, which involved over sheeting and other asbestos-related tasks, was undertaken by two DPM employees utilising a cherry picker. During the work, one of the employees stepped off the crawling board and onto the roof, which gave way.
The worker fell more than seven metres onto the concrete flooring below, fracturing his spine in two places, along with sustaining fractures to his ribs, shoulder and pelvis.
The subsequent investigation found the methods of work at the site to be unsafe, with no fall protection on either side of the pitched roof, no fall protection, and the risk assessment was found to be unsuitable and insufficient.
DPM pleaded guilty to breaching section two of the HSW Act and were fined £10,000, in addition to being ordered to pay costs of £6,454.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Susan Ritchie said, “This serious incident could easily have been prevented had appropriate control measures been considered and put in place to prevent falls from height.”