A company has been prosecuted after a worker fell through a fragile roof during repair work at a barn in Dumfries and Galloway.

McKeown Groundworks Limited, whose registered office is at King Street, Castle Douglas, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2015. It was fined £12,000.

Stranraer Sheriff Court heard how the company sub-contracted the 42-year-old victim to carry out roof repairs on a barn at Whiteley's Farm, Stranraer.

The worker arrived at the farm to work on the roof on 24 May 2016. However, as he walked alon the roof, he stepped on a translucent light panel which broke under his weight, falling more than seven metres on to the ground below.

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The worker suffered a compression fracture of the lower back as a result of this incident.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found McKeown Groundworks had failed to adequately supervise this work at height and relied on the experience of the workers to avoid injury while working at height. In additon, the company was found to have failed to plan the work at height and therefore no control measures had been put in place to prevent workers falling from or through the roof.

HSE Inspector Helen Diamond said: "McKeown's failings resulted in serious injuries which could have easily been prevented had the company planned the work at height. Planning the work at height would have included an assessment of the risks and ensuring that suitable and sufficient measures were in place to prevent falls from height.

"Work at height is the biggest single cause of fatal and serious injury in the construction industry, particularly on small projects."

(LM)