Dan's Renovations was fined $37,500 and ordered to pay $261,695 in reparations after the death of a contractor who was painting a roof when he fatally fell 4.5 metres to the ground. File photo Photo: 123RF
A Christchurch business has been forced to pay almost $300,000 in health and safety failings over the death of a subcontractor.
The 56-year-old man was painting a flat, single-storey roof when he fatally fell 4.5 metres to the ground.
Dan's Renovations was sentenced in a reserved decision from Judge Gerard Lynch of the Christchurch District Court.
WorkSafe's investigation found Dan's Renovations had no site-specific safety plan in place and no edge protection on the building in Sydenham, such as scaffolding.
It concluded that the man who died and the three other workers on top the roof were exposed to the risk of injury or death.
"This incident is proof that a flat roof does not mean a safe roof - especially when it's 4.5 metres high. This was an unprotected and unsafe working environment," WorkSafe head of specialist interventions Dr Catherine Gardner said.
Judge Lynch said the death had a devastating impact on his family.
Dan's Renovations was fined $37,500 and ordered to pay $261,695 in reparations - for which the maximum penalty is a fine not exceeding $1.5 million.