Director jailed over fall death

A construction company director has been jailed for a year over the death of a worker who fell through a skylight on a building site in Norfolk.

Sharaz Butt, 44, of Alcon Construction, based at Bishop Bridge Road in Norwich, admitted the manslaughter of Chinese national Wu Zhu Weng.

Judge Peter Jacobs at Norwich Crown Court imposed a token £10 fine on the company because it had no money.

Butt was disqualified from acting as a company director for five years.

Mr Wu was working on a flat roof at the Panery bakery and cafe at Trowse near Norwich on 31 January this year and died after falling through a skylight.

Butt was charged with manslaughter and admitted the offence.

On behalf of the company he also admitted failing to ensure the safety of people at work between 3 January and 2 February 2008 by not devising and carrying out risk assessments.

The company was refurbishing the premises and building a single storey ground floor extension.

Shauna Ritch, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said open spaces for skylights on the flat roof of the extension were covered with plastic sheeting.

Mr Wu stood on one of the sheets and fell about 15 feet (4.6m) to the ground. He was taken to hospital by Butt, but later died.

No profiteering motive

"There had been no risk assessment on the site and no English speaking workers," said Ms Ritch.

Michael Clare, defending, said the company had been formed in October last year and Butt now had a health and safety supervisor .

"This was not a case of failing to heed warning nor flouting health and safety for profiteering. There were safety hats, boots and clothing on site and the man who died was a sub-contractor."

Judge Jacobs said that not guarding the skylights was "total lunacy". The workers were not English, not registered and paid no tax.

"They were probably illegal immigrants grateful for work with no questions asked," he said.

"One hears of grotesque examples of breaches of health and safety and that is why we have legislation to protect people."

Butt's previous company went into liquidation last year.