Michael Stone, 44, of Hartley, Plymouth, was erecting a scaffold at a creamery in Cornwall when he fell eight metres through a fragile roof light.
The incident occurred at Dairy Crest’s Davidstow facility near Camelford on 4 November 2008.
Truro Crown Court heard that self-employed Mr Stone was contracting for specialist fabrication firm Dartmeet Services, which Dairy Crest had contracted to replace the roof on a chemical store.
The building had fragile rooflights but Mr Stone had not been made aware of this and no signs or markings were evident to indicate the danger. The HSE investigation found that neither Mr Stone nor his employees were requested to sign in to gain access to the roof, and no-one at the site checked his risk assessment for the work.
Mr Stone landed on a concrete floor when he fell, suffering multiple injuries. He died in hospital seven days later.
Dartmeet Services Ltd of Union Street, Newton Abbot, Devon pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £30,000 with £10,000 costs.
Dairy Crest Ltd of Esher, Surrey pleaded guilty to breaches of Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 9(3) (a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 costs.
HSE inspector Barry Trudgian said: “This is yet another tragic fatality caused by working on a roof with fragile rooflights where the risks are well known. In this case, no-one involved took proper control to make Mr Stone aware of the issue.
“There should have been signs on the building indicating the presence of fragile rooflights and any work on the roof should have been subject to a thorough risk assessment and supervision.
“Simple, straightforward, common-sense procedures could have saved Mr Stone’s life.”
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