A builder from Plymouth has been fined £10,000 after a worker plunged nearly six metres to the ground falling through a fragile roof light and sustaining multiple injuries.

A partner in a building and roofing company, Przemyslaw Borkiewicz, 24, of Mutley, Plymouth, was carrying out the work at the Evans Halshaw garage in Saltash on 12 December 2012.

The incident was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) which prosecuted Jim Woodley, the person in control of the work (trading as Direct Property Services), at Plymouth Magistrates court.

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The court heard that Mr Borkiewicz was walking across the roof to take a bucket to his colleague when he stepped on and fell through one of several Perspex roof lights set into the roof. In addition to Mr Borkiewicz two other workers at the site were put at risk of falling through the roof lights.

HSE's inquiries found that the work was supervised by someone who had no roofing or working at height qualifications and no measures had been taken to do the task safely, such as placing boards with edge protection on the roof or using a cherry picker to do the job.

Mr Woodley was also ordered to pay £5,517 in costs.

(CD/MH)