Montway Ltd, a construction firm from Hertfordshire, have been fined £144,000 after a worker was seriously injured when he fell off a roof during demolition work.
Ioan Vancea, a Romanian labourer, fell around five metres from a partly demolished roof and suffered serious injuries including a fractured spine. He was in an induced coma for two weeks and remained in hospital for three months.
Upon inspection by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) two weeks after the incident, unsupervised demolition work was still being carried out and additional serious matters were identified including asbestos which had been removed from the house and found in a pile by a neighbouring property's hedge and in broken pieces mixed in with other debris. Enforcement Notices were immediately served to ensure workers and members of the public were protected.
Montway Limited originally pleaded not guilty, but changed their plea and sought a Newton Hearing to determine numerous issues it disputed. As a result, they pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, fined £144,000 and ordered to pay costs of £43,606.15.
HSE inspector Andrew Verrall-Withers commented after the hearing:
"Mr. Vancea’s injuries were life changing and he could easily have been killed. This serious incident would have been avoided if scaffolding had been provided. Montway Ltd’s site documents even identified it was needed. Montway Ltd sought a Newton hearing so they could dispute numerous issues in front of a District Judge. They were unsuccessful and the Judge's ruling confirmed she was satisfied that their approach towards the welfare of their employees was lax and casual, and it was their overall poor management of health and safety that directly led to this incident."
