Shropshire Star

Huge fine for Wednesbury firm after worker fell 3.4m through roof in Shrewsbury, leaving him in constant pain

A company has been fined £18,000 after a judge was told it did not implement safety measures to prevent a worker from falling through a first floor ceiling.

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Kidderminster Magistrates Court was told that a sub-contracted worker lost his balance and fell 3.4m after crashing through plasterboard in the roof at Shrewsbury Training and Development Centre, in Racecourse Crescent, Monkmoor, Shrewsbury on November 7, 2022.

The 45-year-old asbestos analyst was taken to hospital by air ambulance and suffered multiple fractures including to his back and is suffering post-traumatic stress that causes panic attacks meaning that he cannot return to work.

All Clear Services Limited of Heath Road, Unit 5, Wednesbury, Sandwell, pleaded guilty at the first opportunity to a Health and Safety Executive charge that the company contravened working at height regulations.

The court was told on Wednesday that the licensed asbestos removal company was a micro family-run business that had been working closely with the Health and Safety Executive without incident and had been in business for 30 years.

All Clear Services, which employs seven people directly, has apologised for the incident and made immediate changes to its working practices.

But the prosecutor said that on the day of the incident the firm had all the paperwork in place for what it should have done but failed to implement it.