A man died after sustaining injuries when he fell through the roof of a DIY store in Wigan. David Battisson was working on the roof of The Range store when he plunged ten feet to the ground through a PVC light fixture. He was taken to the Royal Albert Edward Infirmary where he died due to the injuries.

He was working for CRN Contracts Ltd based in Birkenhead, which was previously known as Concrete Repairs NW Ltd. On 27 May 2005, Mr Battisson and a co-worker were putting anti-corrosion paint on the rusted bolts on the roof of The Range store when he fell. The Health and Safety Executive took CRN Contracts Ltd to court for not abiding by the proper safety practices.

The court found them guilty of breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and Section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974. As a fine for these two charges, CRN Contracts Ltd was made to pay £25,000 plus an additional £14,086 as costs on 23 July 2009 at the Manchester Crown Court, Minshull Street.

Warren Pennington, HSE Inspector, said that the incident was unfortunate as it was caused due to negligence of the proper safety measures. CRN Contracts Ltd should have administered proper provisions to ensure the safety of its worker and the public, he said.

The edges of the roof should have been protected and planks should have been used to cover the roof lights, the Inspector added. He also pointed out that the company did not do anything to barricade the area from the public to stop them from entering the area when work was going on.

He said that this was a tragic event, which should serve as a reminder to other companies and employers to adopt the necessary safety precautions while carrying out roof maintenance work. It is a requirement to undertake a suitable and sufficient risk assessment on all work undertaken where there is a risk of injury as a result of a fall from height, Working at Height training will benefit organisations in helping to minimise the risks of work at height and bring work procedures up to date with the requirements of new legislation.