Wates Construction fined £150k for site fatality

Wates Construction was fined £150,000 at the Old Bailey today (Wednesday) following a fatality on a construction site in south east London four years ago.

Indergit Singh died while working on a roof refurbishment project at Building 17, in Woolwich Arsenal on 15 June 2000.

Singh, a sub-contractor of Wates, was working on the roof, when he fell 11m through one of these roof lights to the concrete floor below. He died from his injuries four days later.

Wates, the principal contractor on the site, had received prior warnings about the danger presented by the fragile roof.

Other contractors working on the roof had complained about the inadequate protection provided around the roof lights, and Wates had agreed that improvements were needed.

However, it did not suspend work while these improvements were carried out, and the fatality happened before the work was completed.

Wates was also ordered to pay £14,769 costs.