Two experienced Health and Safety Executive inspectors categorised the standard of the equipment provided by Adam Menzies, the roofing contractor, as ‘abysmal’.
Mr Honeyman sustained serious head and spinal injuries in July 2012 after slipping on a piece of wood whilst working for Mr Menzies on the roof of a house in Stirlingshire.
After falling nearly 40ft to the ground, Mr Honeyman, hospital and placed on a life-support machine. He was later transferred to a specialist neurological unit and survived, although he still suffers from the effects of the trauma.
Falkirk Sheriff Court heard that Mr Menzies, was responsible for the tragedy because he failed to provide sufficient safety equipment that would have stopped Mr Honeyman’s near-fatal fall.
Mr Menzies, was found guilty after a three-day trial of two charges of breaching “work at height” regulations and was fined £8,000.
Sheriff Caldwell told Mr Menzies “A platform you supplied was wholly deficient to meet the obligations which you and you alone had to protect those such as Mr Honeyman, and indeed his son and friends, who were working on your on your behalf.”
“These are very serious offences and your failings resulted in catastrophic injuries to Mr Honeyman, who was very close to death in the hours immediately following this fall from the roof.”
