On 12 July 2011 24-year-old self-employed worker James Best, of Blisland in Cornwall, was helping to help remove fibre cement roof sheets from a shed at Park Farm, Washaway, near Bodmin.
As he was working on the roof, he fell through, landing on the concrete floor some 16 feet below.
He broke both his arm and jaw, and damaged an eye socket.
Speaking after the hearing at Bodmin Magistrates’ Court, HSE Inspector Georgina Speake said:
“There was no assessment of the state of the fragile roof and no written plan of works for the demolition, which is required by law.
“Martin Dairy did not provide proper equipment to do the job.
“Although there were crawling boards to allow safe access to the roof, these were not wide enough, increasing the risk of someone having to walk on the roof.
“There was also a complete absence of measures to reduce the risks of serious injuries in the event of a fall, such as safety nets or a crash deck.”
Martin Dairy Limited, of St Mabyn, pleaded guilty to a breach of Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
The firm was fined £4,000 and ordered to pay £1,033 in costs.
