Breaches of Health and Safety requirements have seen a roofing company’s fine more than tripled by the High Court.

An employee fell off a roof and suffered broken bones and a spinal injury which will prevent him from working in the roofing industry again.

The District Court found that the company should have used a scaffold and should have better trained its employees on safety requirements.  The company was ordered to pay $40,000 reparation and an $18,000 fine.  The fine had been reduced from a starting point of $60,000 because of the company’s remorse, its efforts to improve safety, its struggling financial situation and the foolish action of the employee which lead to his own injuries.

The High Court has said that the $18,000 fine was far too low.  The starting point should have been much higher than $60,000 and that the foolish actions of the employee should not have led to any reduction in the fine.  A new fine of $60,000 was imposed but this would normally have been $70,000.

The Courts are treating injury accidents very seriously and the fine and reparation plus legal costs here amount to well over $110,000.  You must get your Health & Safety procedures right.

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