A property management company has been fined £200,000 after an employee was left in a wheelchair after falling eight metres through a rooflight.
Robin Williamson, an asbestos surveyor employed by City Property (Glasgow) LLP, suffered multiple skull fractures and multiple spine and rib fractures after he fell while carrying out a survey on the roof of Netherton Community Centre, Glasgow on 5 April 2018.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) concluded that Robin’s employer did not provide a safe system for working at height on the external roof areas of the community centre where it did not plan, organise and supervise the work to ensure that the risks were identified and adequate precautions were in place.
City Property (Glasgow) LLP pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1), 2(2)(a) and (c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and was fined £200,000 at Glasgow Sheriff Court on 21 December 2022.
Cameron Adam, principal inspector at the HSE, said: “Falls from a height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and significant injuries in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.
“Falls from height are avoidable and Mr Williamson’s accident would have been prevented had the risks been properly assessed and the appropriate control measures implemented.
“Employers should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
