Howarth Timber fined £93,750 in health and safety case

Roofer and builder Paul Hardy, trading as Hardy Construction, was also sentenced to four months in prison suspended for 12 months and fined £3,000.

In a case brought by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Southwark Crown Court heard that Howarth Timber had hired Paul Hardy to fix a leaking cement roof at the site in Bruce Grove in May, 2012.

A roofer working for Mr Hardy was fatally injured when he fell through a fragile roof at the site.

The court heard that Howarth Timber failed to check Mr Hardy’s competence before work began or properly assessed the risks associated with the job.

The court also heard that Mr Hardy didn’t plan the work adequately and failed to provide a risk assessment or method statement detailing how he would carry it out.

Instead of making sure there was safe access to the roof, he provided an incorrectly erected tower scaffold and an untied ladder. He also failed to provide a suitable working platform, covering or guardrails despite the work being carried out near a fragile roof.

Both Howarth Timber and Mr Hardy had pleaded guilty at earlier hearings.

“Falls through fragile roofs are sadly all too common but this tragic incident could have been avoided if adequate checks had been carried out on the contractor’s competence, the work been planned properly and carried out with the correct equipment,” said investigating HSE inspector Chris Tilley.