A company has been prosecuted after a worker died when he fell more than six metres from a roof at a farm in Devon.

C & R Construction (SW) Ltd of Lower Park, Crediton, Devon pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2 (1) of The Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has been fined £100,000 with more than £11,060 in costs.

Plymouth Magistrates' Court heard how the employee was carrying out work to install roof sheets on a new agricultural building on 11 May 2016. However, he fell over six metres from the building and suffered fatal injuries.


A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found C & R failed to provide suitable edge protection, failed to ensure there was a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks from the use of the edge protection and failed to ensure those installing the edge protection and supervising the work had received adequate training.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Kate Leftly said: "Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.

"If suitable edge protection had been installed, the tragic death of this employee could have been prevented."

(LM)