PK & IF Cobley Limited were fined £75,000 as employee Andrew Bannister, of 15 years, sustained life changing injuries after he was instructed to repair cracks in a fragile roof at Misterton Farm in Leicestershire without any means of preventing him from falling.
Mr Bannister fell approximately 10 metres through the roof and landed on concrete flooring, sustaining injuries which included a broken back, and three broken ribs.
The logistics firm were later found guilty for breaching the Work at Height Regulations SI 2005/735 at Leicester Crown Court and were fined £75,000 as well as being ordered to pay £29,351.88 in costs.
The judge hearing the case held it to be a miracle that Mr Bannister was not killed as the job he was instructed to do was obviously very dangerous.
In response to the sentence imposed; Alison Cook, who was the investigator and prosecutor on this case, said: “The risk of falls through fragile roofs is well-known and the precautions required are simple and effective. This sentence will serve as a warning to firms that knowingly risking employees’ lives in the course of their work will not be tolerated.”
