British Satellite Firm Prosecuted after Fatal Employee Injury

British satellite TV installation firm Foxtel, Ltd, has been prosecuted following the death of a worker who fell while carrying out work on a roof, according to a report from Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Engineer Noel Corbin, 29, from New Addington, Croydon, suffered fatal head injuries after falling 13.5 meters (44.3 ft.) from a four-story house onto a side patio in Belsize Park, London Feb. 3, 2008.

The Old Bailey heard safety equipment found in Corbin’s van was unsuitable for the type of work he was undertaking.

An HSE investigation after the incident exposed a number of failings at Foxtel, Ltd., including failure to ensure work at height was properly planned, organized, and monitored.

The Old Bailey heard Corbin was working on a satellite TV dish on the property’s roof apex and had accessed the roof via a dormer window. Before his fall he was also seen working on another satellite dish located on a flat roof. Evidence suggests Corbin fell from the flat roof itself or while walking across the sloping roof.

The court was told when Corbin was first employed by Foxtel, Ltd., references were not sourced from his previous employer, nor were any training certificates provided. Corbin was also not accompanied on any initial visits so therefore no assessment could be made of his competence.

As a result, the HSE investigation concluded as soon as Corbin stepped onto the roof, he was at high risk of slipping, tripping or falling. Most of the work on satellite dishes Corbin undertook involved work at height on large properties with more than two stories.

Foxtel, Ltd., based in Wates Way, Brentwood, Essex, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Today, the firm is no longer trading and was shown to have no assets. The court fined the company £1 ($1.65)

Falls from height remain the most common cause of workplace fatality. In 2008/09 there were 35 fatalities, 4,654 major injuries and a further 7,065 injuries that caused the injured person to be off work for three or more days .