Client Fined After Roofing Contractor’s Worker Rooflight Fall

ROOFING CONTRACTOR clients are being warned to take note, after a recent HSE investigation resulted in the contractor’s client being fined after the roofer’s employee suffered a rooflight fall.

The owner of Blackburn carpet and flooring distributor, Floors ‘n’ Carpets Ltd, was fined for failing to carry out due diligence checks on the work planned to over-clad the company’s warehouse fragile roof.

Three operatives were employed to carry out the work which started on 13 May 2020.

The following day, the roofing contractor’s employee, Taj Zahir fell approximately 30 feet through a glass rooflight on the warehouse roof. Taj Zahir sustained serious injuries to his pelvis, arm, knee and face and has since gone under extensive surgery.

Rooflight Fall

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Floors ‘n’ Carpets Ltd failed to undertake due diligence checks on the roofing contractor’s documents and ensure a construction phase plan was prepared prior to work commencing.

The roofing contractor, Nizmuddin Gorji had previously pleaded guilty to failing to adequately plan the work and provide covering or underslung nets to prevent or mitigate a fall through the fragile roof. He had not completed any health and safety training and did not adequately train the operatives he employed.

Client Fined

Floors ‘n’ Carpets Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £96,000 and ordered to pay costs of £36,919.75.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jackie Western, said: “The risks from working at height are well known. Those with control of work at height have a duty to ensure safe methods of working, which should include ensuring the use of suitable work equipment and adequate supervision.”

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