A building contractor has been sentenced after a worker was killed during work to repair a warehouse roof in Manchester.

Saleem Hussain of Birchfields Road, Manchester pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was sentenced to eight months in prison.

The 45-year-old victim had been hired by Mr Hussain, along with another man, to carry out roofing repair and maintenance works at the warehouse at Witney MIll on 23 November 2013.

Mr Hussain had been engaged by the warehouse owner, who believed him to be a competent building contractor.

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However, during the work the victim fell nearly seven metres through the fragile roof and was killed.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that both workers were not qualified to carry out work at height. They had accessed the roof via a ladder in order to repair and seal leaking guttering. No safety precautions were in place to protect the two men from the danger of falling through the fragile roof.

In addition, Manchester Crown Court heard Mr Hussain failed to assess the risks or put a safe working method in place. No suitable training or equipment to work on the roof had been provided.

HSE Principal Inspector Mike Sebastian said: "The dangers of falls through fragile roofs and working at height are well known. Simple steps such as removing the need to access the roof directly by using mobile working platforms, or boarding out the roof, or using safety harnesses, can and should be used to prevent accident and injury.

"Mr Hussain's failure to take any such actions resulted in a tragic and needless loss of life."

(LM)