'Reckless' businessman jailed after roof worker fell to death
A businessman has been jailed for corporate manslaughter after a man fell to his death while repairing a roof.
Tomasz Galwaz an friend were on the second of three days work when the roof cracked and they fell through on to a concrete floor.
Mr Galwaz died in hospital from head injuries. The second man was left with minor injuries.
The victims were employed by Mafizur Rahman, aged 32, repair to the roof of the Al Amin warehouse in Aston, owned by his brothers and father.
The interpreter who brokered the deal for the Polish victims, who spoke very little English, said there were no discussions around safety, protective equipment or risk assessments or insurance.
Rahman, of Trinity Road, Aston, has now been jailed for 30 months after admitting corporate manslaughter.
He was also fined £144,000 and ordered to pay costs of £44,600 following the tragedy, in January 2015.
Det Insp Jim Munro from West Midlands Police said: "The recklessness and negligence showed by Mr Rahman in this case led directly to the death of Mr Galwaz and we are pleased the severity of this was recognised in court today.
"Rahman's main priority was to get the job done as cheaply as possible with complete disregard for the safety of these workers – with tragic consequences. We hope this sentence sends out a message to others than health and safety is not an optional extra."
Edward Fryer, HM Inspector of Health and Safety said, "Work on fragile roofs is extremely hazardous and requires proper planning and oversight to ensure that safety precautions are considered and implemented. In this case the client, Al Amin Wholesale Limited, did nothing to check that work on their roof would be carried out safely. As a consequence of this neglect Mafizur Rahman, who the company had tasked with arranging the roof work, acted in a way which made it almost inevitable that a fall would occur, there was simply nothing put in place to prevent it.
"Businesses have a major influence on how work is carried out on their projects, they need to take an active interest at each stage of the work and provide sufficient time and resources. Their decisions and approach have a significant impact on the health, safety and welfare of their projects. This tragedy was entirely preventable. "
Al Amin Wholesale Limited, the company who own the buildings, also pleaded guilty for breaches under the Health and Safety at Work Act.
