Company fined £13,500 over employee’s fall from roof

The worker, now 33 and from Halifax, broke his back in the 23ft fall from the two-storey house in Cookridge, Leeds, in February last year as he attempted to install a flue liner to the chimney.

He was in hospital for 15 days and suffered back injuries that will affect him the rest of his working life.

Fluetech Ltd, of Drakes Industrial Estate, in Shay Lane, Halifax, yesterday pleaded guilty at Leeds Magistrates Court to three health and safety offences in a prosecution brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The court heard the man had put up a roof ladder and when he stepped onto it, it gave way. He did not know there was a dormer extension on the other side of the roof, so the ladder had failed to hook over the ridge properly.

The HSE investigation showed the company failed to assess the risks properly before the work started, failed to find out there was a dormer window on the rear of the roof, failed to make sure workers were provided with the correct equipment for the job and failed to take suitable measures to ensure workers were not exposed to risks to their safety.