A West Yorkshire-based electrical company was fined £120,000 after a fatal roof fall killed the father of one
The fatal roof fall happened on 24 February 2021 at Palmyra House, Palmyra Square in Warrington.
Dennis Vincent, 36, and another worker were using ropes to install a lightning protection system to the front of the office block, which was being converted into flats.
Mr Vincent, who was from Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, was lowering the access equipment from the roof, using a rope attached to a frame at roof level and a handrail at ground level. As he did so, both he and the frame fell from the roof to the ground.
The fatal roof fall was the result of inadequate planning
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Mr Vincent’s employer, PTSG Electrical Services Limited, failed to adequately assess the risks associated with this work.
They had given little consideration to the work at height hierarchy of control and opted for personal protection measures over more suitable collective protection measures, such as scaffolding or a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP).
In addition to this, the company had not planned for getting the rope access equipment on to and off the roof safely, providing no instructions to the operatives.
PTSG Electrical Services Limited, of Flemming Court, Whistler Drive, Castleford, West Yorkshire, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £5448.51 in costs at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on 9 February 2023.
A further two companies will appear at Liverpool Crown Court later this year in relation to the incident, after pleading not guilty at an earlier hearing.
Rope access is rarely the safest option in construction
HSE inspector Sara Andrews said: “This incident could easily have been avoided by better planning of the work to ensure adequate controls were in place to prevent falls from the roof. Whilst rope access techniques are appropriate in some circumstances, they should only be used if more appropriate measures, such as fixed scaffolding, cannot be.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Fatal falls from a height constitute a huge number of workplace injuries
Almost a quarter (24%) of fatal workplace injuries between 2021 and 2022 were caused by falling from a height, according to research from Jason Rowley.
The Health & Safety Executive agency’s annual figures document, which revealed that on average, 35 people died by falling from a height every year between 2017 and 2022.
Find out information and advice on the different types of liability insurance, which covers injuries to third parties and damage to third party property.
