A solar panel firm has been fined after a worker fell through a fragile roof light during repair works at a private home in Kent.

Glasgow-based P V Solar UK Limited, of Cambuslang Road, pleaded guilty to three separate breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

It was fined £153,000 with £29,480 in costs.

Canterbury Crown Court heard how the 32-year-old worker was part of a three man team working on the pool building to replace faulty solar panels at Elvington Lane in Hawkinge on 30 April 2013.

Initially, the panels had been installed by the same company in April 2011.

However, while he was carrying a panel, the worker crashed through one of the eight roof lights and landed in a swimming pool.

Although the water partially cushioned his fall, he made a heavy impact with the side and flooring around the pool, fracturing his shin and vertebra.

The employee was unable to return to work until January this year, and only then on a part-time basis.

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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that more could and should have been done by P V Solar UK to prevent the fall.

HSE established that a scaffold tower, ladder and safety harness had been provided for the panel replacement work. However, none of the installation team had received any formal training or instruction on how to use them, effectively rendering the equipment useless. Other measures could also have been taken, such as providing full scaffolding or hard covers for the rooflights.

In addition, although the initial installation work in 2011 was completed without incident, the safety equipment provided on that occasion was also lacking, which again placed workers at risk.

The court also heard that P V Solar was served with a Prohibition Notice to stop unsafe work on a fragile roof in Bristol in May 2011.

HS said the company was therefore well aware of the need to ensure that adequate provisions were in place to prevent or mitigate falls during work at height.

HSE Inspector Melvyn Stancliffe said: "The injured worker suffered serious injury in the fall and could have been killed. He and his colleagues were effectively left to their own devices with equipment that was not wholly suited for the task at hand. In short, better equipment, training and supervision should have been provided.

"Working on or near a fragile roof or materials is not a task to be undertaken without proper planning, and without having the appropriate safety measures in place at all times. There is considerable free guidance available from the HSE regarding the precautions needed when working at height, including on or near fragile roof coverings."

(LM)