Firm prosecuted over apprentice's death

An Altrincham company has been ordered to pay £24,376 in fines and costs after pleading guilty to a breach of Regulation 8(1) (c) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which resulted in an employee's death.

S. Cartwright and Sons (Coachbuilders) admitted to contravening the legislation at Manchester crown court after a 16-year-old apprentice climbed on the roof of a building to retrieve a football and fell 5.3 metres through a skylight onto a concrete floor.

He eventually died from his injuries and the company was served with an improvement notice requiring them to fix warning notices that the roof was fragile.

Vincent Joyce, principal inspector at the Health and Safety Executive, said the dangers of fragile roofs are not always obvious and firms should do all they can to make sure staff are aware of potential dangers.

"Access routes to roofs should be appropriately marked. Additionally, access to the roof should be restricted to employees and contractors with adequate knowledge and training in working at height," he stated.

In other news, Middlesex-based firm Schenker has been fined £45,000 and ordered to pay costs of £19,000 after a worker suffered severe crush injuries.