A scaffolding company which was ordered to pay more than £100,000 by way of a fine and legal costs after one its employees fell through a skylight to his death has been granted more time to pay after the Court of Appeal heard of its dire financial difficulties.
The labourer and trainee scaffolder plunged 12 metres through a warehouse roof skylight due to ‘inadequate and poor’ safety measures taken by the company, which was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay more than £30,000 costs following its prosecution by the Health and Safety Executive.
The company, which had admitted breaching health and safety regulations in failing to adequately protect the skylight, was given 21 months to pay those bills by instalments of £5,000 per month. The judge who passed sentence had commented, “On any view, the company fell significantly below the standard required."
On appeal, the company, which had suffered a drastic drop in turnover since the accident, argued that the drain on its resources was compromising its business and putting jobs at risk. The Court expressed some sympathy for the company, bearing in mind the difficulties it faced.
Having examined the company’s accounts, the Court allowed the appeal to the extent that the fine and costs would have to be paid at a rate of £25,000 per year. The company was also given a breathing space of several months to raise money for the first instalment.