A builder has been fined for safety failings after a worker was injured when he fell through the fragile roof of a cowshed.
James Coe, 25, from Strathaven, was one of several people employed by the builder to repair the roof at a local farm when the incident occurred.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that Mr Coe had been lifted up to the cowshed roof after standing on a silage cutter fitted to a telehandler.
He stepped off the cutter and onto the roof, which was made of asbestos sheets that were just 6mm thick, before walking across it towards the ridge to access the opposite side. There were no supporting timbers or boards and suddenly and without warning the roof sheets on which he was standing collapsed inwards, causing him to fall.
Mr Coe was taken to hospital with bruising to his ribs and a cut to his head. He was discharged the following day and made a full recovery within weeks.
A subsequent investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the builder had alerted his workers to the dangers of the roof and its fragility, but that the advice given was to use timbers and boards to spread their weight. This method is viewed by HSE as woefully inadequate and out of date.
In addition, the use of the telehandler and silage cutter provided a significant risk of falling and exposed the men to risk every time it was used to gain access to the roof.
The builder was fined £750 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
Falls through fragile roofs and fragile roof lights account for almost a fifth of all the fatal accidents that result from a fall from height in the construction industry. On average seven people are killed each year after falling through a fragile roof or fragile roof light. Many others suffer a permanent disabling injury.
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