Tesco fined £500k after worker fell through skylight

THE Tesco group of companies has been hit with a total of £500,000 fine after a maintenance worker fell through a skylight on to the shop floor at a store in Wallasey on the Wirral.

The employee of Tesco Maintenance got away with minor injuries after falling 30 ft through the skylight of the Tesco Liscard Express store in June 2014.

Liverpool Crown Court was told the worker was part of a team undertaking repairs to the roof and gutters at the time.

Tesco Maintenance and Tesco Stores were prosecuted by the HSE after an investigation found that no risk assessment or method statement had been produced prior to carrying out the work.

The fragile skylights should have been identified and precautions taken but Tesco Maintenance had received no information relating to the fragility of the roof from their client Tesco Stores.

Tesco Stores, of Welwyn Garden City admitted safety breaches and was fined £200,000 with £712.70 costs.

Tesco Maintenance, of the same address, also pleaded guilty and was fined £300,000 with £624.60 costs.

HSE Inspector Chris Hatton said after the hearing: “Contractors should treat all roofs with care and check before starting any work if they are fragile.

“I am shocked at a company the size of Tesco failing to take even basic precautions to prevent injury to its employees and further, to risk injury to the public.”