Keen Construction fined after worker injured in fall

Keen Construction based in Downton, Salisbury, has been fined £6,600 following an accident which saw a self-employed worker seriously injured.

The worker fell five and a half metres through a fragile single skin asbestos cement roof while working on a site in Lambourn, Berkshire in September 2007 while replacing leaking roof lights.

There were no crawling boards in use and no safety net or crash desk below the working area of the room.

The man suffered broken ribs and injuries to his pelvis, vertebrae and lung. He was unable to return to work for over a year.

Keen Construction pleaded guilty to contravening regulation 9(2) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Reading Magistrates' Court. The firm were fined £6,600 and ordered to pay costs of £3,625.

Meurig Rees Williams, HSE inspector, said: "By any standards, this was a very serious incident. The injured worker suffered long-term injuries after falling five and a half metres and is lucky to be alive.

"There are safe ways of carrying out this work and guidance is freely available on the HSE and industry websites."