The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a freight company after an untrained roofer was killed when he fell from height.

In January 2007, Richard Gibbs, from Westminster in London was working at the Feltham site of freight forwarding company, K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd, when he fell through a fragile roof while repairing lights.

A group of workers had been contracted to carry out the repairs on the roof by K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd, whom the HSE found had ‘at no point’ assessed the competence of the contractors being used.

Mr Gibbs had not received any training as a roofer and had been given only limited instruction before starting work on this job, the investigators found. He fell seven metres to the floor and died from his injuries after being taken to hospital by air ambulance.

On Tuesday (08/12/09) at City of London Magistrates’ Court, K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,752.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector, Owen Yorath, said:

‘This fatality was set in motion when K-Line Logistics UK Ltd contracted the job of replacing the warehouse roof lights – but failed to plan, risk assess, supervise or ensure the competence of those they contracted to do the work.

‘It is vital that employers take steps to assess the competence of those they contract to undertake work on their premises – particularly high risk work, such as work on or around fragile roofs.’  

The inspectors found that K-Line Logistics (UK) Ltd did not take steps set out in HSE guidance documents about how to manage contractors and simple precautions to take. The inspectors concluded the company’s failings in this regard contributed to the death of Mr Gibbs.

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