Window Cleaning Company Fined After Fall

Skylight incident - firm fined: A window-cleaning firm was fined £65,000 after one of its workers fell through a skylight at Southend’s Royals Shopping Centre. At Southend Magistrates Court on Monday 5th March, Central Window Cleaning Company Ltd, admitted four health and safety offences in relation to the incident. The firm was fined a total of £65,000, and costs of £9,114.65 were awarded to Southend-on-Sea Borough Council, which brought the prosecution.

On Friday 4th June 2010, an employee of Central Window Cleaning Company Ltd, Tony Rose, 44, of Sittingbourne, Kent, was on the roof of the Royals Shopping Centre helping his colleague clean the landmark dome at the top of the building. He stepped backwards unwittingly on to a fragile plastic skylight which gave way beneath him. Mr Rose fell three and half metres down on to a stairwell, and then a further three metres down the stairs, causing him extensive bruising.

 

Southend-on-Sea Borough Council's Executive Councillor for Public Protection, Waste and Transport, Councillor Tony Cox said: "We brought this prosecution because of the very serious health and safety issues which led to this incident. "Mr Rose was exceptionally lucky not to have been more seriously injured or even killed. "The firm failed to carry out a suitable risk assessment, which would have clearly identified the fragile surface, and also failed to take heed of the strict rules about working at height.

"We hope the outcome of the court case over this most unfortunate accident may also serve as a warning to all employers to abide by health and safety procedures at all times, and to take account of the risks posed by fragile surfaces when working at height. "The safety and well being of employees is paramount." Further court proceedings involving two other defendants are also pending in connection with the incident. Jones Lang Lasalle Ltd (management company) and S2 Partnership Ltd (H&S consultants) are due to appear at Basildon Crown Court on Friday 18th May, to face charges under the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act.