24/05/2010 - Firms fined after employee fall
A factory owner and construction firm have been ordered to pay more than £27,000 between them after an employee fell through a roof, seriously injuring his back.
Danny Langdon, 63, from Suffolk, was working at the Fluorocarbon factory in Hertford when he fell through a roof light, hit a gantry crane and landed on machinery. He suffered fractured vertebrae in the fall, in December 2008, and has been unable to work since.
In a hearing at St Albans Crown Court, his employer Hartog Hutton Ltd, which was contracted by Fluorocarbon to fix the roof, pleaded guilty to breaching three health and safety regulations. The firm, based in Bury St Edmunds but with a registered address in Hampshire, was given a fine of £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,076.
Fluorocarbon Company Ltd, based in Hertford, was also fined when it appeared at East Hertfordshire Magistrates' Court in April. It admitted one charge and was ordered to pay a £5,000 fine and £5,195 costs.
HSE inspector John Berezansky said: "This incident was entirely avoidable and should not have happened. Working at height is one of the most obvious and well-known dangers for those involved in repairing or maintenance of buildings.
"HSE will continue to prosecute companies that fail to carry out their duties, which includes both employers and firms hiring contractors to do specialist work for them."
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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