The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) has revealed that it is shocked at the lack of precautions taken by retail giant Tesco before sending maintenance employees to work at height.

Last week, the supermarket chain was prosecuted and fined £500,000 for breaches of health and safety that resulted in a worker falling through a skylight.

The employee of Tesco Maintenance Ltd was said to be fortunate to suffer just minor injuries after falling nine metres through a fragile skylight landing in the shopping aisles of the Tesco Liscard Express store in Liscard Village, Wallasey, on June 13, 2014.

Liverpool Crown Court heard that the worker was part of a team that carried out repairs to the store’s roof and gutters when the incident took place.

Tesco Maintenance Ltd and Tesco Stores Ltd were prosecuted by the HSE following an investigation that found no risk assessment or method statement had been produced before carrying out the work.

The fragile skylights should have been identified and precautions taken, however Tesco Maintenance Ltd had received no information regarding the fragility of the roof from their client Tesco Stores Ltd.

HSE inspector Chris Hatton said following the hearing: “I am shocked at a company the size of Tesco failing to take even basic precautions to prevent injury to its employees and further, to risk injury to the public”

Tesco Stores Ltd of Tesco House, Shire Park, Kestrel Way, Welwyn Garden City, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 10 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and was fined £200,000 with £712.70 costs.

Tesco Maintenance Ltd of Tesco House, Shire Park, Kestrel Way, Welwyn Garden City, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £300,000 with £624.60 costs.