11.07.2008

Know what your employees do during meal breaks...

The Health and Safety Executive has warned of the importance of employers knowing what their staff, especially apprentices, do on their premises during meal breaks.

The warning follows the prosecution of an Altrincham coach building company after a 16 year-old apprentice sustained fatal injuries when he fell through a fragile roof whilst retrieving a football during a lunchtime kick-about.

S. Cartwright & Sons (Coachbuilders) Ltd of Atlantic Street, Broadheath in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, were fined £7,000 and ordered to pay £17,376 costs after pleading guilty at Manchester Crown Court today to a charge under Regulation 8 (1) (c) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

On 7 February 2006, Ashley Saunders, a 16-year-old apprentice, was playing football with other apprentices and employees in the yard of the factory when the ball was accidentally kicked onto the roof. In the yard was a mobile work platform used within the factory for working on trailers. Ashley pulled the platform to the front of the building and used it to climb on to the roof to look for the ball. As he walked up the roof he fell 5.3m through a skylight to the concrete floor below and died from his injuries.

After the incident the company was served with an Improvement Notice requiring them to fix prominent warning notices that the roof was fragile.

HSE Principal Inspector, Vincent Joyce, says:
"This was an entirely avoidable incident. Ashley was simply playing a game of football during his lunch break and went onto the roof to retrieve the ball. We don't want to stop healthy break-time activities such as football, but employers need to be fully aware of what their employees get up to on their premises, and take action to protect them, particularly vulnerable employees, who may not fully appreciate the hazards and risks present in the workplace."

"The dangers of fragile roofs are not always apparent, so access routes to roofs should be appropriately marked. Additionally, access to the roof should be restricted to employees and contractors with adequate knowledge and training in working at height."