School to pay £15,000 after workman falls from roof

Christ the King have been ordered to pay £15,000 after a worker fell from a roof at the Southport school.

An assistant suffered multiple fractures falling from a roof where he had been clearing footballs.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found no protective measures were put in place such as barriers or rails, despite staff regularly being forced to remove balls from the roof.

The governing body of the Stamford Road school pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £10,000, in addition to £5,851.50 costs.

Isobel Macdonald-Davies, the Chair of Governors at Christ the King School said: “As a governing body and school we regret the distress that this one off event has caused and are pleased our colleague was able to return to work, where we continue to offer him our full support.

“We have reflected on the highly regrettable incident, which occurred in October 2018 and is the first and only reportable accident the school has had.

“We have employed education health and safety experts, Compliance Education, as well as continuing to draw on the expertise and advice of the Liverpool Archdiocese and Sefton Council.
“Since the accident no member of school staff is allowed to access the roof and any work is carried out by a specialist contractor.

“At Christ the King we continue to be committed to a safe environment for all staff, pupils and visitors to school.”

HSE inspector Roger Clarke said: “Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard.”