Bradford firm fined £120,000 for worker's roof fall death

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leeds-36923159

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A company has been fined £120,000 after a worker plunged 18ft (5.5m) to his death through a roof light.

Richard Perry, 43, was with a colleague covering roof lights with vinyl at Whiteghyll Plastics in Bradford when he fell to the department below in 2014.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said there were no precautions in place to prevent them from falling through "fragile roof material".

At Bradford Crown Court the firm admitted health and safety breaches .

The HSE said Mr Perry, from Garforth, Leeds, was doing work to block out sunlight and reduce the heat within the factory, which makes signage and displays.

It said the company failed to adequately supervise him and his colleague and there were several missed opportunities by managers to stop them from working on the roof.

Mr Perry's wife Samantha said: "Not only did my boys lose their daddy but I lost my husband, my best friend and my soulmate.

"Nobody should die at work and leave behind a young family and wife."

HSE inspector Andrea Jones said: "The accident would not have happened if these two employees had been appropriately supervised by management."

The company was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £37,655 costs.