A trio of companies have been prosecuted after a worker sustained serious back injuries when he fell through a fragile roof light in Portsmouth.

Wessex Building Services Limited of Wessex House, Shaftesbury, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1)(a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £425,000 with over £6,646 in costs.

Dantherm Limited of Windmill Business Park, Cleavedon has been fined £30,666 with over £6,646 in costs after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015.

Wessex Insulation Limited of Albany Road, Weymouth, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £70,833 with more than £6,646 in costs.

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Portsmouth Crown Court heard how a subcontractor of Wessex Insulation was working to install a new ventilation ductwork on the roof of the Mountbatten Leisure Centre in Portsmouth on 17 December 2015.

However, while carrying out the work the employee fell four metres through a fragile roof light into an office space below, suffering six fractures to his back.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the three companies had failed to plan and manage the risk of falling through rooflights sufficiently.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Jane Beckmann said: "Falls from height remain the most common cause of work-related fatalities and serious injuries in the construction industry and the risks associated with working at height are well-known."

"Working on or near fragile materials at height can be particularly dangerous and it is very important that those in control of the work identify the risk, plan to eliminate it if possible, or where it is not possible, take appropriate precautions to safeguard workers and others.

"Good management will also include regular monitoring that the controls in place are keeping people safe. It was fortunate that in this instance the worker involved made a full recovery, but it could have been a very different outcome."

(LM/MH)