Electrical retailer Comet Group plc has been fined £75,000 following the death of a contractor who fell through a roof light at its Wrexham store. Paul Alker was working for a roofing contractor and was on the roof of the store on Mount Street when he stepped on a roof light and fell around 25 feet.
Comet was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident on 7 June 2007, and pleaded guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. They were also ordered to pay £24,446 in costs. Mr Alker was not wearing any equipment which could have prevented his fall, and he suffered multiple injuries including rib fractures, a broken collar bone and soft tissue injuries which led to a fatal pulmonary embolism on 12 June 2007.
Following the hearing, HSE inspector Debbie John said, “Comet failed to ensure that its contractor had taken steps to prevent falls through the fragile roof lights, ultimately leading to the death of a worker. This incident could have been avoided if the roof lights at the Wrexham store had been protected and Mr Alker had been provided with appropriate safety equipment. A safe system of work must be agreed and the company should monitor contractors to make sure they carry out work safely as agreed.”
Mr Alker’s employer, Steven Christopher Smith, director of Wrexham Roof Services Ltd, was jailed for two and a half years in November 2007 in relation to this incident.
