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.


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)