NII Clean Ltd fined after worker’s fall from roof in Portglenone

Ballymena Magistrates’ Court

A cleaning company has been fined £4,000 following a serious health and safety breach that left a worker hospitalised after falling from a roof in County Antrim.

Today at Ballymena Magistrates Court, NII Clean Limited pleaded guilty to one count of breaching health and safety legislation, specifically failing to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment for work undertaken at a property in Portglenone in August 2023.

The court was told that Mr Sean Duncan, an employee of the company, suffered multiple injuries after he fell approximately three metres from a flat tin roof into a neighbouring yard while preparing to carry out roof cleaning work at the property.

He was airlifted to hospital due to the extent of his injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) revealed that NII Clean Limited had not completed an adequate risk assessment for the activity being undertaken at the time of the incident.

The company was fined £4,000 under Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000.

Speaking after the hearing, Kiara Blackburn, an Inspector within HSENI’s Major Investigation Team, said:

“Employers have a duty to ensure all work activities are adequately risk assessed and that risk assessments are suitable and sufficient and are applicable to the job in question.”

HSENI continues to emphasise the critical importance of thorough risk assessments in all work environments, particularly in roles involving potential falls from height.

Resources and guidance on how to conduct proper risk assessments are available via HSENI’s website.