A self-employed roofing contractor from Essex has been given a suspended prison sentence after his friend died after falling through a garage roof.
Victim James Waughman, 58, from Perry Road, Tiptree, was accompanying Steve Mason, who had been contracted to replace a flat roof for a double garage at a house in Well Lane, Stock, near Chelmsford in June 2009.
While on site Waughman suffered a stroke and fell through a gap in the rafters on to the garage floor, suffering multiple injuries. He died in hospital just over three weeks later.
Mason, who lives in the same road in Tiptree, received an eight month prison sentence, suspended for twelve months and was ordered to pay £500 costs today at Chelmsford Crown Court after admitting safety breaches.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Lesley Balkham said: “This sends out a powerful message to roofing contractors.
“Steve Mason failed to properly consider the risks of the job and act to limit the chances of injury or even death.
“He should have put guard-rails around the edge of the roof and taken measures to prevent anyone falling through the roof, but he chose not to.”
