Painter broke wrist after falling through roof light

This post has already been read 1795 times!

A painting company has been fined after a worker fell through a roof light whilst working at height.

Cwmbran Magistrates’ Court heard the employee working for Williams Contractors Limited of Pontypridd, carrying out painting work when he fell off a Youngman board and through the roof lights.

He suffered a broken left wrist and injuries to his chest, back hip and leg and was unable to work for six months.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred in August 2013, at A Schulman Incorporated Limited, Crumlin, Newport, found that there was poor planning and supervision of the task and an unsafe method of work.

Williams Contractors Limited, of Gelliwastad Road, Pontypridd, was fined a total of £12,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,069 after pleading guilty to an offence under Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

After the hearing HSE inspector Stephen Jones said: “It was entirely foreseeable that someone working from a Youngmans board could have fallen through the rooflights should they fall from the board. The company breached the duty imposed on them.”