Fragile Roof Fall Death Director Sentenced

A ROOFING COMPANY director has been sentenced after one of his workers fell to his death from a fragile roof.

The roof work was being carried out at Bestway Wholesale in Bloxwich Lane in Walsall in July 2020.

Adam Brunskull

On only the second day in the job, Adam Brunskill, 22, was working on over-cladding the warehouse roof when he fell through an unmarked and unprotected glass rooflight on 14 July. Adam fell approximately 23 feet onto a concrete floor below, suffering a severe brain injury and died in hospital the following day.

It was previously found, at an inquest into the death, that Adam had received no instruction or training before accessing the roof.

Roofing Company Director Sentenced

Wayne Clarey, Director of Wayne Clarey Roofing & Cladding Limited, was given a six-month custodial sentence, suspended for 18 months.

His company was fined £45,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,000.

Principal contractor Proclad Developments Limited was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9,089.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the incident was preventable. Inspectors said the rooflights should have been covered or had safety netting installed below to protect workers from a fall.

HSE Inspector Gareth Langston said: “The collective failures of those responsible for site safety in this case has cost a young man his life. Adam Brunskill was at the very beginning of his career but was not kept safe.

“When working on fragile roofing, or where skylights are in place on a metal roof, safety netting is essential. Had these measures been put in place Adam would still be alive.”

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