D Henderson Chimney Specialists and Roofers Ltd. has been fined £20,000 after pleading guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The prosecution followed an incident in 2011 where one of the company's chimney sweeps fell from a chimney stack of a two-storey house in Falkirk.
Dylan Skelhorn was sweeping a chimney from the top of the stack when he fell. He broke two ribs and suffered from a collapsed lung as well as fracturing his pelvis. As a result, Mr Skelhorn was in hospital for five days and requires physiotherapy and pain relief. He has not yet been able to return to work.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that no precautions were taken by the company to prevent the fall. In addition, the company had not carried out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment, had not provided adequate training or employed a safe system of work for employees. As such, workers were exposed to risk.
Following the case, HSE inspector Kerry Elliot said, "This incident was entirely preventable. Falls from height are the biggest cause of death and injury in the workplace, and wherever possible employers should try and avoid the need for working at height. HSE’s investigation clearly showed that this chimney could have been cleaned from within the property – something this company did not even consider at the time.
"If it is not possible to avoid working at height then employers must ensure that they provide employees with the necessary equipment to keep them safe. Mr Skelhorn wasn’t provided with any equipment to prevent fall or injury and is still suffering from the effects of his injuries two years later."
