Apprentice fell 30 feet through fragile skylight

A Warrington-based coach fabricator has appeared in court after an apprentice suffered serious injuries when he fell through a roof he was working on.

The 25 year old worker from Orford suffered three fractured ribs and a ruptured spleen as a result of the incident on 14 April 2016.

• READ: Who is responsible for working at height?

Liverpool Magistrates’ Court was told that a worker was assisting other employees with cleaning of the valley gutters on the workshop roof in Hardwick, Warrington when he stepped back onto a fragile skylight. He fell 30 feet to the floor below where his fall was broken by a table.

The HSE’s investigation found that Bespoke Bodies Ltd had:

• not properly supervised this work at height activity
• failed to identify the risks associated with working at height and working on fragile surfaces.

Common cause of injury

Bespoke Bodies Ltd of Grange Hardwick, Warrington pleaded guilty to breaches of Regulation 3 (1) (a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and was fined £20,000 with costs of £3,339.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector, Lianne Farrington, said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work related injuries and the risks with working at height are well known.

“Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary instruction and training to their workers.”

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