Fatal Consequences of Wearing Loose Fitting Work Boots

Fatal Consequences of Wearing Loose Fitting Work Boots

A roofing company owner has been given a suspended sentence after a worker fell from a ladder to their death. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told the court that the cause of the fatal accident was a badly secured ladder and loose-fitting work boots worn by the worker.

Fatal Consequences of Wearing Loose Fitting Work Boots

A roofing company owner has been given a suspended sentence after a worker fell from a ladder to their death. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told the court that the cause of the fatal accident was a badly secured ladder and loose-fitting work boots worn by the worker.

The employee was climbing a triple-extending ladder on a roof to reach eaves level on scaffolding. He was carrying slates on his should when he fell and was killed. After the accident, HSE inspectors discovered that the interlocking ladder sections did not allow the worker to have three points of contact. The inspector also found that the worker had loose-fitting footwear that prevented him from having a firm footing on the ladder. The inspectors discovered that the owner of the roofing company had no employer's liability insurance, which is a legal requirement.

At Blackpool Magistrates Court, the owner of the roofing company, Richard Thornton, was found guilty of not adhering to section 1(1) of the Employer's Liability (Compulsory Insurance) Act 1969 and Regulation 4(1) of The Work At Height Regulations 2005. He received a six-month suspended prison sentence and was forced to pay costs of £3,600.

Christine McGlynn, an HSE Inspector, said that the death of the worker would not have happened if simple equipment had been used. A single pole ladder would have been safer, along with lifting equipment used to transport the tiles up the ladder. The worker should have been wearing the correct sized boots.