A company has been prosecuted after a worker died months after falling through a skylight

IKO-Design Ltd of Parker Drive, Leicester pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 4 and Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company has been fined £100,000 with £35,000 in costs.

Leicester Crown Court heard how the worker was working with another employee on a roof to resite a heater and new chimney flue on 31 October 2014.

However, the victim fell through a skylight and suffered severe injures. He passed away from these injuries approximately six months later.

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A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the work at height on a fragile roof was not appropriately planned, supervised or carried out in a safe manner.

IKO-Design Ltd of Parker Drive, Leicester pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 4 and Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company was fined £100,000 with £35,000 in costs.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Michelle Morrison said: "A well planned job would have identified the risks from working on a fragile roof, so that steps could have been taken to prevent the risk of anyone falling from height. This tragic incident was entirely avoidable if appropriate controls had been put in place.

"Proper precautions should be taken when working on roofs and near fragile skylights, even for short duration work. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards."

(LM/MH)