In court

CDM breach led to fractured back

Alison Fava

Darlington based roofing firm, Dufell Roofing Company Ltd, has been sentenced after an employee suffered a fracture to his back that required surgery.

Newcastle Crown Court was told that the injured person, Mr Stephen Merryweather, an employee of Dufell Roofing Company Ltd, was in the process of fitting new plywood boards over the top of existing wood wool slabs on a roof at a site in Morpeth on 15 April 2015.

Two employees were in the process of positioning the second plywood board when Merryweather fell four metres through one of the wood wool slabs onto the floor of the plant room, colliding with internal pipework.

Prosecuting, the HSE told the court the firm should have identified that the roofs were potentially fragile and should have planned the work around this fact, with measures in place to prevent a fall through a fragile surface.

Easily prevented

Dufell Roofing Company Limited of Alexander House, Faverdale Industrial Estate, Darlington pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and was fined £25,000 with £24,572.84 costs, plus a victim surcharge of £120.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Andrea Robbins said: “This injury was easily prevented and the risk should have been identified”

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