Joinery and building firm Peter Mawson, were contracted to work on the roof of a West Cumberland Farmers group agricultural supplies depot at Lindal when one of it's workers died after falling through a fragile skylight on to a concrete floor more than seven metres below.
Cumbria Constabulary and the Health and Safety Executive found that the firms owner, Peter Mawson, knew about the risk posed by working round the fragile panels but did not provide workers with any fall protection equipment.
The company admitted the corporate manslaughter offence, and were fined by Preston Crown Court £200,000. They were also fined £20,000 for breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
However, as well as the corporate manslaughter fine, the judge made a publicity order requiring the company to advertise its conviction via a half page advertisement in a local newspaper and a notice on its own website. This order is believed to be the third made for an offence since the Corporate Manslaughter and Corporate Homicide Act 2007 came into force.
Mawson also pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years and 200 hours of unpaid work.
Detective Sergeant 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 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."
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