An Auckland roofing company has been fined $8000 and ordered to pay $40,000 in reparation after an employee suffered serious injuries in a fall.
The worker from Woolley Roofing Ltd was putting a new roof on a building in Takapuna last year when roofing iron he was standing on moved and he fell five metres through a hole.
The Department of Labour's service manager for North Harbour says a much shorter fall can kill and it is incredibly fortunate that the man survived.
Kris Metcalf says Woolley Roofing was aware of the hazard and did nothing to prevent one of its staff members getting hurt.
Mr Metcalf says the fine and reparation should serve as a wake-up call for employers who do not understand the potential consequences of an employee falling from a height.