Industry news
Brothers fined over man's roof fall
Posted Mon, 02 Aug 2010
Two brothers have been fined £13,000 after a worker fell through a roof.
Alan Hind was demolishing an industrial building in Carlisle when he fell 20ft to the concrete floor below - crushing his skull. The 28-year-old, of Corrie Common, near Lockerbie, suffered 16 skull fractures in the incident and parts of his brain were so badly damaged they had to be removed, Carlisle Crown Court heard.
Mr Hind, who has lost his hearing in his right ear and is blind in his left eye, also broke his jaw in three places, fractured his wrist and damaged a kidney. Robert Murray was in control of the work project and Eric Murray was in charge of dismantling the building that Mr Hind was working on, said the Health and Safety Executive.
Robert Murray, 56, of Annan - trading as Murray Structures - pleaded guilty to not hiring trained workers and failing to ensure the work was planned and carried out safely. He was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £4,000 towards prosecution costs. Eric Murray, 54, of Dalton, near Lockerbie - trading as EJ Murray (Steel Structures) - was found guilty of failing to take measures to prevent workers falling and being injured following a trial last month. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £8,000 costs.
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