Firm fined after worker plunged through skylight

A WORKER plunged through a skylight and narrowly escaped serious injury after his bosses ignored safety regulations, a court heard.

The employee was installing solar panels on the roof of New Milton Community Centre when he fell more than 12ft.

He only escaped injury because he landed on a raised platform that broke his fall.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there were no attachment points on the roof for safety harnesses and no protection had been provided for people working near the edge of the roof or the two skylights.

Gendex Ltd appeared at Southampton Magistrates' Court yesterday and admitted two breaches of the Work at Height Regulations.

Gendex, of Court Road, Swanage, was fined a total of £13,000 and ordered to pay £2,477 in costs.

Comments(7)

mikeymagic2 says...
7:36pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Getting more and more like the USA. If you work in that environment you have to expect the odd accident. Nanny state. Or USA as it 's known. Not news.

Afcb1986 says...
7:58pm Fri 8 Mar 13

mikeymagic2 wrote:
Getting more and more like the USA. If you work in that environment you have to expect the odd accident. Nanny state. Or USA as it 's known. Not news.
If you work in that environment you should and can be 100% safe!!!

Bournemouth2014 says...
11:31pm Fri 8 Mar 13

He didn't just fall he plunged...

Bournemouth2014 says...
11:32pm Fri 8 Mar 13

And more than 12ft.. 12ft 1'

billd766 says...
2:07am Sat 9 Mar 13

I can understand that the firm was fined because there were no harness safety points or protection near the edge or skylights etc.
A simple question, whoever has to put them in has to work without safety in place to begin with so how does that work out with 'elf n safety?

l'anglais says...
9:24am Sat 9 Mar 13

It's oh so cool to be anti-health and safety.

It is really a shame that those of you who talk about the nanny state didn't live a century ago.

Pre-NHS, before the Unions fought for safety measures that saved lives.

Do you honestly believe those Capitalist's with only profit as incentive, would have spent a shilling on their employees safety, had not the Socialists engaged in industrial action.

When Britain was great, it produced stuff, now it's the worlds shop corner, with those behind their admin desks complaining about time and money spent on the health of others who engage in precarious jobs.
Shame on you.

BIGTONE says...
9:47am Sat 9 Mar 13

billd766 wrote:
I can understand that the firm was fined because there were no harness safety points or protection near the edge or skylights etc.
A simple question, whoever has to put them in has to work without safety in place to begin with so how does that work out with 'elf n safety?
Cherry picker.

Too expensive to hire one to put in solar panels and pass the cost on to the customer. The panels cost a fortune as it is.

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