Wates fined after fatal fall

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the death of Mr Indergit Singh during the redevelopment of buildings at the Woolwich Arsenal, London in June 2000, saw Wates Construction Ltd (Wates) fined £150,000.

The contractor pleaded guilty in March 2004 to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, in that it failed to ensure that persons not in its employment were not exposed to risks to their safety.

Mr Singh was employed by a company subcontracted to Wates. He was working on the roof, which had on each of its four pitches a wired glass roof light that extended along the full length of the building. Mr Singh fell through one of these roof lights to the concrete floor below, a distance of approximately 11 metres. He died of his injuries four days later.

Wates was the principal contractor on the site that was being developed into the Royal Artillery Museum. The firm had received prior warnings about the danger presented by the fragile roof. Other contractors working on the roof had complained about the inadequate protection provided around the roof lights, and Wates had agreed that improvements were needed. However, they did not suspend work while these improvements were carried out, and Mr Singh fell to his death before the work was completed.

Mr Singh and his work colleague did not receive a formal site induction, and no risk assessment or method statement was prepared before their work commenced.

This was an entirely avoidable death. wates
was well aware of the risks

Richard Boland, HSE

HSE inspector Richard Boland, who led the investigation, said: “This was an entirely avoidable death. Wates was well aware of the risks presented by working on this type of roof, and this is exactly the sort of incident that the construction industry needs to prevent to improve its safety record. Falls from height still account for over half of all fatalities in construction, and the safeguards are straightforward and easy to put in place.

“All roofing materials should be assumed to be fragile unless it can be demonstrated otherwise. Glass, even wired glass, must be treated as being fragile because it is a brittle material likely to break if a person stands or falls on it. Ideally such material should be securely covered, but if this cannot be achieved, edge protection such as guardrails and a toeboard should be provided around the fragile material to prevent access to it. And, just as vital, no one should be allowed to work on a roof until they have a clear understanding of the risks and that the necessary safeguards are in place.”

Wates was fined £150,000 and ordered to pay costs to HSE of £14,769.