The death of a man in an accident at work who was
working on a roof without a safety harness was an "waiting to
happen", a judge has said.
Paul Alker died after he fell through a roof at the
Wrexham store of Comet. The electrical chain has been fined £75,000
and ordered to pay costs of £25,000.
Comet pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to
ensure the safety of Paul Alker, when he fell through a skylight in
2007.
Mr Alker and a colleague had not been supplied with
roofing harnesses, a previous hearing was told.
Labourer Mr Alker died several
days after falling 7.3m (24ft) through a fragile roof.
Neither Mr Alker nor his colleague Aaron Pugh had
been supplied with harnesses, though scaffolding had been erected
at the side of the store to enable the men to get on top of the
roof.
Steven Smith of Wrexham Roofing Services was jailed
for two years in 2007 after being convicted of manslaughter by
gross negligence. He employed the men at the time.
Comet failed to control the roofing company, which
acted effectively as a "one-man band" and was not competent to
carry out such a contract, a previous hearing was told.