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Feltham company fined after employee dies

Posted by Ed Saunt on Dec 18, 09 02:55 PM in Health

A company has been fined £15,000 after a contractor died when he fell through the roof of a warehouse.

Richard Gibbs had not been trained to work as a roofer when he fell seven metres to his death on the Mercury Centre industrial estate in Central Way, Feltham in January 2007.

The 24-year-old stepped on a fragile roof sheet which gave way and, despite being taken to hospital by air ambulance, he died of his injuries.

Last week at City of London Magistrates court his employer, K-Line Logistics, admitted not seeking to assess the competence of its contractors, providing inadequate training and exposing Mr Gibbs to unnecessary risks. The company was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £4,752 costs.

HSE Inspector, Owen Yorath, said: "This fatality was set in motion when K-Line Logistics contracted the job of replacing the warehouse roof lights but failed to plan, risk assess, supervise or ensure the competence of those they contracted to do the work.

"It is vital that employers take steps to assess the competence of those they contract to undertake work, and on their premises, particularly high risk work such as work on or around fragile roofs."

The family of Mr Gibbs, who was from Westminster, have set up a tribute page to him on website gonetoosoon.org, where more than 750 messages of support have been left.

His sister Laura wrote on the website: "I'm finding it very hard to get through this, I feel like I'm stuck in a nightmare and will wake up soon. I miss you so much; at least you are away from this evil world we live in. Rest in peace and watch over us all, we will all be together again. Love and miss you loads and always will."

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