A British company has been sentenced and fined after an employee was fatally injured after falling through an asbestos cement roof in May of 2017.
A subsequent investigation by the HSE found that the incident occurred during work on replacing the roof of a building. The HSE found that the area where the incident occurred did not have safety nets, and the employer had not taken reasonably practicable measures to reduce the risk of the workers involved.
The company, AJM Services (Midlands) pleaded guilty to breaches of the working at height regulations and was fined £51,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000.
Following the hearing, Inspector for the HSE Andy McGory said that it was “a tragic incident, which resulted in a needless loss of life and could have easily been avoided by properly planning the work and ensuring appropriate safeguards were in place.
“Those in control of work at height have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working, which should include providing clear and comprehensive information for their workers and ensuring that they are adequately supervised.”