A building firm and its owner were sentenced on 3 February as a result of a man’s death.
The man died after falling through a skylight on a roof he was working on at the time. Jason Pennington, was working approximately 7.6 metres from the ground when he fell.
Peter Mawson Ltd pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter and a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of employees.
The corporate manslaughter offence lead to a fine of £200,000 for the company, and £20,000 under the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974.
The owner of the company, Peter Mawson, also pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc 1974 and has been sentenced to:
DS Paul Yates for Cumbria Constabulary said: "This has been a long and complex investigation, and we have worked closely with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to establish what happened on that tragic day. I hope that this case serves as a warning to other businesses in Cumbria that health and safety measures are extremely important, and if not implemented correctly can result in devastating consequences."
The investigating inspector for the HSE commented on the preventable nature of the case: "Peter Mawson knew the clear panels on the roof weren’t safe to walk on but neither he nor his company provided any equipment to prevent workers falling to their death. If scaffolding or netting had been fitted under the fragile panels, or covers had been fitted over them, then Jason would still be here today."
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