Shropshire director sent to jail after worker falls to his death

A 56-year-old construction worker died because RM Developments (2005) Ltd supplied him with pre-used roofing sheets that contained asbestos and were so weak he fell through them and to his death.

Robert Marsh, the director of RM Developments, has been sentenced to 12 months in prison following the incident due to his company's actions. The victim, Tony Podmore, died on the 8th June, 2011 when one of the sheets failed and he fell 6 meters on to a concrete floor. He died later in hospital from his injuries.

Although initially trying to cover up what had happened, Mr Marsh changed his plea to guilty to one breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and also to a contravention of The Registration, Evaluation and Authorisation of Chemicals (REACH) Regulations 2008. His 12 month prison term is complimented by a £10,000 demand for costs and he cannot be a company director for 6 years.

Luke Messenger, HSE Inspector, commented:

"Asbestos fibres are a well-known and widely-publicised health risk and can lead to fatal illnesses. The supply of materials containing asbestos has been illegal for many years. Mr Marsh demonstrated a complete disregard for the law for his financial gain. In this case, the weak second-hand panels he supplied were a significant contributing factor to the death of Mr Podmore."

Source: HSE