A company has been prosecuted after an employee fell three metres through a roof during work to dismantle it.

HI-Pro Scaffolding Ltd of Old Ford House, Old Ford Lane, Stonely, Kimbolton, has been fined £10,000 with £3,621 in costs for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Peterborough Magistrates’ Court heard how an employee of the firm was dismantling a temporary scaffold roof on 10 February 2016.

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However, he fell around three metres through the roof, onto the fixed roof below and was knocked unconscious. He spent two days in hospital and suffered a broken thumb which required metal pins to be fitted. Overall, he was off work for two months.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Hi-Pro Scaffolding had not planned the work properly. There was also a lack of communication and the worker was not trained or experienced in this type of scaffold, while the company had also failed to provide suitable personal protective equipment to prevent a fall.

HSE inspector John Berezansky said: "This case highlights the importance of following industry guidance to plan the safe erection and dismantling of scaffolding."

(LM)