Injured roofer puts case for safety

Self-employed Michael Hawkins, 23, from Rotherham, fell about 20ft through a fragile roof which he had been working on at a large industrial building in Somercotes, Derbyshire.

He underwent six operations in just six months, including a large skin graft to his back, and has been unable to return to work since the incident on June 16, 2009.

Mr Hawkins had been working for contractor Mechanical Solutions Ltd, of Mansfield, which had been employed to help cover the asbestos cement roof with steel cladding. It was his first day on site.

Magistrates in Derby were told by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on Wednesday that the company had failed to ensure the work was properly planned, appropriately supervised or carried out in a safe manner.

The HSE investigation found part of the roof was only single thickness and therefore considerably weaker in some areas than others, yet the company failed to identify how fragile it was.

Mr Hawkins said: “I have suffered serious injuries, numerous surgical procedures and permanent scarring as a direct result of the company’s failure to ensure that the task could be carried out safely.

“I have been unable to work since and my future job prospects are limited as I am unable to return to my job as a roofer.

“The effects of the fall will be with me for the rest of my life. I hope others can learn from what has happened. I would not want anyone else to go through what I’ve been through.”

Mechanical Solutions Ltd admitted breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,366.

Nobody from the company could be contacted for comment.