Self-employed worker fell from factory building on which scaffolding did not meet requirements

Two construction firms have had to pay out more than £45,000 after a roofer fell 25ft, severely injuring himself.

The self-employed worker was sheeting the roof of a new factory in Barnsley in September 2007 when he fell, breaking his arm and injured his face. It emerged that the scaffolding at the roof edge did not comply with requirements.

Pinnacle Scaffolding from Cleveland was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,000 and L J McLaren Engineering of Northumberland was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,000.

David Bradley, an HSE inspector, said: "On this occasion the roofer is lucky to be alive, although he has sustained significant damage to his arm and has not worked since the incident. The standards required for roof edge protection are clearly defined in the regulations and straightforward to implement.”

Thirty-four of the 72 worker deaths in 2007/08 resulted from a fall from height.

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