A builder has admitted safety failings after one his employees was killed during work on a barn roof in Cambridgeshire.

Michael Turner, 49, of Parley Beams Cottages, Earls Colne, Colchester, pleaded guilty to gross negligent manslaughter after Robert Bird fell 30 feet and died.

He received an 18 month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

Inner London Crown Court heard Mr Bird, 57, was carrying out work on a barn roof in Kennet on 20 May 2014.

He was working as an employee of M T Construction, owned by Turner, when he fell to his death.

Police and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation, arresting Turner on 2 June last year on suspicion of gross negligent manslaughter.

He answered 'no comment' to all questions put before him during his interview.

A number of witnesses also questioned as part of the investigation were told how Turner had a 'near miss' on the same rood days prior to Mr Bird's death.


A roof panel caved in after Turner stepped on it and heard a crack.

In a report carried out by a Special Inspector for the HSE, extracts read: "M T Construction developed a system of work which relied on using new roof sheets as a safe working platform but this was fundamentally flawed in that the unsafe practice of 'walking the bolts' was routinely adopted while laying out and attaching the fixing bars.

"A competent roofing contractor would not be carrying out the work adopting the system of work adopted by M T Construction, and a competent roofing supervisor would not have put his workforce in such a vulnerable position.

"The standard of safety management exhibited fell far below the standard expected of a competent roofing contractor and was woefully inadequate."

The report concluded Mr Bird either slipped, tripped or walked from a newly fixed sheet onto a fragile one, and due to no fall-prevention barrier being in place, fell to his death.

Linda Christian-Booth, who led the HSE team, said: "Falls from height, and in particular falls involving fragile roofs, are one of the main causes of work-related deaths in Britain. The risks are therefore well-known and documented, as is the guidance on how to reduce these risks.

"Adequate precautions were not taken in this case, such as netting and edge protection, which has led to the dreadful tragedy of Mr Bird falling 30 feet to his death."

Upon sentencing, the judge accepted Turner's depth of remorse and suspended the prison sentence, stating he felt an immediate prison sentence was not appropriate.

As part of his sentence, Turner must also complete 240 hours of unpaid work.

(LM/MH)