Worker died after 6m fall
A BUILDING contractor must pay more than half a million pounds after a worker fell through a roof and died from an infection.
Thomas Whitmarsh, of Birstall, fell nearly six metres through an unguarded opening in the roof of a shopping centre in Wales where he was working in May, 2007.
He sustained serious head injuries in the fall and spent several months in hospital.
Mr Whitmarsh continued to recover at home, but a court heard his brain injury exposed him to a higher degree of infection and he died of acute meningitis in December 2009, aged 21.
Mould Crown Court heard Mr Whitmarsh was working for Watkin Jones and Son on a roofing project at the Menai Centre in Bangor, Wales, when he fell.
The hearing last Thursday heard there was more than an 80 per cent change the injuries from the fall contributed to his death.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Watkin Jones and Son for failing to ensure Mr Whitmarsh’s safety while at work.
The HSE said edge protection around the opening in the roof had been removed before the incident, and the company had failed to provide an alternative way of protecting workers against falls. The company, which is based at Llandygai Industrial Estate in Bangor, was found guilty of breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.
It was fined £450,000 and ordered to pay £98,000 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Chris Wilcox said: “Poor co-ordination between the principal and the roofing contractors on this particular part of the site led to the edge protection being removed from around the roof opening without alternative safeguards in place.
“Falls from height are an alarmingly common cause of death and serious injury in construction.
“All too often straightforward practical precautions are not considered and workers are put needlessly at risk. Poor management of risk in this industry is unacceptable and HSE will take strong action when necessary.
“This tragic case should remind all contractors that work at height must be managed effectively and adequate safeguards should be in place to prevent falls.”
HSE records show falls from height remains one of the most common causes of death and major injuries in the construction sector.
Between 2011 and 2012, 49 people died on construction sites in the UK, with falls from height being a major cause.
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Wednesday 22 May 2013
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