A Leamington Spa clutch manufacturer has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) for putting its staff at risk when working at height.

An employee of Raicam Clutch Ltd was asked by management to investigate a leak on a flat roof at the company's premises in Tachbrook House, Tachbrook Road on 30 July 2009. While walking across the roof the employee caught his foot in a trailing cable and fell approximately three and a half metres to the ground below.

Leamington Spa Magistrates' Court heard the roof had no guard rails and nothing to hold onto. There was also no safety protection below the roof such as a birdcage scaffold, netting or soft landing bags to protect him from the fall.


The employee, who does not want to be named, sustained five broken vertebrae and whiplash to his neck. It was four months before he could return to work.

Raicam Clutch Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (as amended) and was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £4,952 costs.

HSE Inspector Mark Austin said: "It is fortunate this incident did not end in a fatality. But as if this was not enough the employer sent a second person onto this section of the roof, under the same conditions, to investigate the initial incident.

"This was an entirely foreseeable incident which could have been avoided if Raicam Clutch Ltd had implemented safety precautions accepted within the industry as normal working practices.

"Roofing work requires careful planning and assessment of the risks involved. In this case, an employee was working without any protection to prevent him falling which is completely unacceptable."

(CD/KMcA)