The company failed to adequately supervise Mr Perry and another employee. There were several missed opportunities by a number of managers to stop them from working on the roof. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the firm over the incident.
Whiteghyll Plastics Ltd of City Road Bradford pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £120,000 with £37,655 costs by Bradford Crown Court.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Andrea Jones commented: “Two employees were on the roof for some time with no precautions in place to prevent falling through fragile roof material or off the open edge of the roof. This accident would not have happened if these two employees had been appropriately supervised by management.
“Falls from height, particularly from roofs is the highest cause of fatal accidents.”
Mr Perry’s wife Samantha, who was pregnant with their second son when he died, said: “Richard was so looking forward to meeting his second son. Sadly he never got the chance to do that. Every time I look into his eyes I feel an immense sadness that he never got to meet his amazing Daddy.
“Not only did my boys lose their Daddy but I lost my husband, my best friend and my soul mate. I feel as if my heart was ripped out and died with him. I kissed him goodbye on Friday 13 June 2014 and he never came home.
“I never expected this to happen. Nobody should die at work and leave behind a young family and wife. He had his whole life ahead of him.”
