Fines for Company and Operations Manager after Fatal Roof Fall

A COMPANY and its operations manager have both been fined after a man fell to his death through a roof at a site in Dudley.

Maciej Rozanski, who was 42, stepped onto a fragile roof and fell more than 20 feet to the floor below during work to remove a redundant steel cleaning machine from the company’s Sovereign Works site on Deepdale Lane, on 29 June 2018. He suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Surface Technik (Old Hill) Limited, which is now in liquidation, was found guilty following a trial earlier this week. Operations Manager Robert Hammond had already entered a guilty plea, but disputed he was responsible for health and safety at the site.

Fatal Roof Fall

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company began the work to remove the machinery in December 2017 and that project was led by Robert Hammond.

The steel cleaning machine was housed in a corrugated steel tower on the side of the main production building which required partial dismantling in order to remove the machine.

On the day of the incident, Maciej Rozanski and another employee were tasked with the dismantling works. Once at the top of the tower they used an angle grinder to remove bolts holding the corrugated steel plates in place. It was during this activity that Maciej fell to his death.

HSE found there was no suitable and sufficient risk assessment made for the work at height activities. The work to remove corrugated steel sheets from the disused tower was carried out at height, near to a fragile roof surface without suitable access equipment or safe working practices.

The work was not properly organised, planned, appropriately supervised, or carried out in a safe manner and the employees were not trained for working at height when the incident occurred.

Fines for Company and Operations Manager

Surface Technik (Old Hill) Limited formerly of Deepdale Lane, Dudley was found guilty by a jury of a breach of Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £28,956.

Robert Hammond of Sutton Coldfield accepted that he did not take reasonable care for the health and safety of both employees when he pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £8,500 and pay the same amount in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Sarah Smewin, said: “Working from height remains a leading cause of workplace death and injury.

“This case highlights the risks of working at height from or near to fragile roof surfaces and the importance of a risk assessment, proper planning, training and supervision of work at height and the use of suitable access equipment to ensure that the work can be carried out safely.

“It also demonstrates that placing a company into liquidation is no bar to prosecution.”

HSE has detailed guidance on working safely at height and also when working on or near fragile surfaces.

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