Work accident news
25/05/2011

Employee suffers serious personal injury after falling from roof

An employee of a Warwickshire manufacturer company has suffered serious injuries after falling from a roof in a work accident.

Leamington Spa Magistrates Court heard how the employee was sent up onto the roof of the company's building to investigate a leak, when the accident took place. As he walked along the top of the building he tripped over a cable and fell approximately three and a half metres to the ground.

The Warwickshire manufacturer company was successfully prosecuted by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and fined £5,000 with costs totalling £4,952 after admitting breaching Work at Height Regulations.

The accident caused the worker to suffer serious personal injury, including five broken vertebrae and whiplash injuries. The employee was unable to work for four months following the incident.

An HSE investigation unveiled that the employee was not provided with any safety equipment to prevent him from falling and the roof had no guard rails.

Following the hearing, the HSE inspector expressed that the work accident was "entirely foreseeable" and added that it was fortunate no one was killed.