A company now in liquidation and its operations manager have both been fined after a worker fell to his death through a roof at the firm’s site in Dudley.
Maciej Rozanski, 42, had been working with another employee to remove a redundant steel cleaning machine from the company’s Sovereign Works site on Deepdale Lane on 29 June 2018.
During the work, Rozanski stepped onto a fragile roof and fell more than 6m to the floor below. He suffered serious injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found there was no suitable and sufficient risk assessment made for the work at height activities.
The work to remove corrugated steel sheets from the disused tower was carried out at height, near a fragile roof surface without suitable access equipment or safe working practices.
No planning or supervision
The work was not properly organised, planned, appropriately supervised or carried out safely. In addition, the employees were not trained to work at height when the incident occurred.
Surface Technik (Old Hill) Ltd, formerly of Deepdale Lane, Dudley, which is now in liquidation, was found guilty by a jury of a breach of Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £90,000 and ordered to pay costs of £28,956 at a hearing at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court on 21 March 2025.
Robert Hammond of Sutton Coldfield, who disputed he was responsible for health and safety at the site, accepted that he did not take reasonable care for the health and safety of both employees when he pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. He was fined £8,500 and ordered to pay the same amount in costs.
