Death of contractor leads to GBP15,000 fine for Feltham company
December 11, 2009
An international freight forwarding company, K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd has been fined £15,000 following the death of a worker in Feltham.
Richard Gibbs, from Westminster, fell to his death through a fragile roof sheet on 31 January 2007 when he was working at height to repair lights.
K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates on 8 December 2009 to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £15,000. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £4,752.
Mr Gibbs had not received any training as a roofer and had been given only limited instruction before starting work on this job. He fell seven metres to the floor and although was taken to hospital in an air ambulance he died from his injuries.
The group of workers had been contracted to carry out repairs on the roof by K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd who at no point sought to assess the competence of the contractors being used.
HSE guidance documents detail how to manage contractors and sets out simple precautions to take. K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd did not take these steps and its failings contributed to the death of Mr Gibbs.
HSE Inspector, Owen Yorath, said:
"This fatality was set in motion when K-Line Logistics UK Ltd contracted the job of replacing the warehouse roof lights but failed to plan, risk assess, supervise or ensure the competence of those they contracted to do the work.
"It is vital that employers take steps to assess the competence of those they contract to undertake work, and on their premises, particularly high risk work such as work on or around fragile roofs."
Find out more about Working at Heights
Richard Gibbs, from Westminster, fell to his death through a fragile roof sheet on 31 January 2007 when he was working at height to repair lights.
K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates on 8 December 2009 to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £15,000. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £4,752.
Mr Gibbs had not received any training as a roofer and had been given only limited instruction before starting work on this job. He fell seven metres to the floor and although was taken to hospital in an air ambulance he died from his injuries.
The group of workers had been contracted to carry out repairs on the roof by K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd who at no point sought to assess the competence of the contractors being used.
HSE guidance documents detail how to manage contractors and sets out simple precautions to take. K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd did not take these steps and its failings contributed to the death of Mr Gibbs.
HSE Inspector, Owen Yorath, said:
"This fatality was set in motion when K-Line Logistics UK Ltd contracted the job of replacing the warehouse roof lights but failed to plan, risk assess, supervise or ensure the competence of those they contracted to do the work.
"It is vital that employers take steps to assess the competence of those they contract to undertake work, and on their premises, particularly high risk work such as work on or around fragile roofs."
Find out more about Working at Heights
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