A Hauraki roofing and maintenance business has been sentenced after a worker suffered serious spinal injuries when he fell through fragile roofing while carrying out work at height.
Professional Trade Services NZ Limited was sentenced in the Waihi District Court after pleading guilty to a charge under the Health and Safety at Work Act. WorkSafe’s investigation found the company failed to adequately assess the risks associated with roof work and failed to ensure workers were suitably trained and competent to perform the work safely.
The worker fell approximately 7.1 metres through a clear light roofing panel and sustained fractures to multiple vertebrae in his spine. WorkSafe’s investigation found the risk posed by the fragile roofing had not been adequately identified or controlled before work began.
“This incident demonstrates how quickly work at height can become extremely dangerous when critical safety controls are missing,” says WorkSafe Regional Manager Nigel Formosa.
“Businesses must ensure hazards are properly identified before workers access roofs, particularly where fragile roofing materials, skylights, or clear light panels are present. Clear roofing is not designed to support a person’s weight and should always be treated as a fall hazard.”
The investigation found shortcomings in planning, supervision, training, and risk assessment.
A central concern was that PTSL admitted the worker’s training had been deferred until after he completed his 90-day trial period, despite him carrying out work at height during that time.
The worker was employed as a labourer and was still within his trial period when the incident occurred. His training had also been delayed because no courses were available until after the Christmas and New Year shutdown period.
“Good health and safety starts before anyone sets foot on a roof. Effective risk assessment, worker training, site-specific planning, and robust fall protection measures are all essential. When those controls are absent, the consequences can be devastating.”
Over the next three months, WorkSafe New Zealand is focussing on the construction sector. Its health and safety inspectors will proactively visit residential construction sites across the country to see how the risk of falling from working at height is being managed.
WorkSafe’s focus on residential construction sites aims to prevent falls from height
Sentencing
Professional Trade Services NZ Limited was convicted and ordered to pay:
- $15,000 in emotional harm reparation.
- legal costs of $1,505.87 to WorkSafe plus court costs.
The company was not ordered to pay a fine due to their financial position (they are in liquidation).
