A contractor has been fined £25,000 by Newry Crown Court after pleading guilty to a breach of Regulation 6 of the Northern Ireland Construction Regulations.

The negligence case against Paul Casement Contracts arose following the investigation of an incident where a 52-year-old worker was seriously injured as a result of a fall.

Paul Paulose fell when carrying out work at height on an agricultural farm building at Tulyorier Road, Corbet, near Banbridge.

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During his judgement, Judge McKay said the penalty must reflect the degree of negligence of the contractor and the severity of the injuries sustained as a result.

Following the hearing, Ken Logan, Principal Construction Inspector (HSENI) said: "This was a serious incident that could easily have resulted in a worker being killed. The system of work employed in this incident was totally unacceptable. There was no edge protection and no precautions taken to prevent workers from falling through a fragile roof light."

He said that falls from height is the number one killer in the construction industry, emphasizing that work at height must be properly assessed, planned and supervised. He warned that the industry must take heed and learn from this incident, taking firm action to ensure it is not repeated.

(VB/JM)