A Norwich-based roofing contractor has been fined after his employee fell through a roof on which he was working.

Sole trader Leighton Johnson and his employee were completing a job on a fragile roof at a factory in Kings Lynn on 11 August 2014.

The 26-year-old employee was kneeling on a scaffolding board on top of the roof when he fell forward and smashed through a roof light. He fell seven metres and landed on a pallet stacked with ceramic mugs below.

He suffered injuries to his back and sternum and wore a full body brace for six weeks after the incident.


On Wednesday, 5 August 2015, Kings Lynn Magistrates' Court heard how the defendant had not followed the law, to ensure work on a fragile roof such as this was planned and managed to ensure the safety of those involved.

An investigation by the HSE found there was no fall prevention or fall mitigation system in place and that the injured person was not harnessed or attached to anything, nor was he wearing any safety equipment. There was a lack of any health and safety management or planning for the job and no adequate training or safety equipment had been provided.

Leighton Johnson, of Hare Close, Mulbarton, was fined £3,000 and ordered to pay £3,415 in prosecution costs after pleading guilty to breaches of Regulations 4(1) and 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He must also pay a £300 victim surcharge.

(LM/JP)