AN INQUEST into the death of a Bradford factory worker who fell 30ft to his death through a skylight on to the shopfloor has heard his line manager knew he had already been up on the roof that day but did not stop him from going up again.

Shopfloor manager Ron Edwards told the jury at yesterday's hearing he had told 43-year-old Richard Perry and his workmate Mark Cromack more than once on June 13 last year it was too dangerous to go on the roof and thought that would have been enough to stop them.

The pair had been using black-out vinyl from the factory to try to block out the sun after temperatures topped 30 degrees in the workroom which was a perennial problem with no quick fix, the inquest heard.

Mr Edwards said when he realised they had been up on the roof of Whiteghyll Plastics in City Road despite his first warning and already covered two of the skylights he got angry with them but said Mr Perry gave him one of his 'endearing' smiles and said: "We have enough vinyl David Smith says we can use it."

He took it to mean they had been given permission from production manager Mr Smith, who was his superior and who he said had a habit of re-allocating jobs to people without letting him know first.

Mr Edwards accepted he told the men "If you're going on the roof be careful" but denied it was giving them the green light. He also rejected a suggestion he had turned a blind eye to what they were doing and said he had only made a throw-away comment.

He told the jury he had become conditioned to Mr Smith's way of getting jobs done and did not question it although with hindsight he should have handled the situation differently and should have stopped Mr Perry and Mr Cromack.

Mr Edwards agreed health and safety alarm bells should have been ringing and he could have bypassed Mr Smith to raise the men's inappropriate activity on the roof with the managing director but did not.

He said he had been under-pressure that day rushing around at 100 miles per hour to get work done and in readiness for a couple of days leave.

When asked from previous experience with Mr Perry and Mr Cormack what would have happened if he had specifically told them not to go on the roof, he replied: "I think they would have done it anyway."

A few hours after he spoke to the men, Mr Perry, of Crimple Green, Garforth, Leeds, died from head injuries falling through a fifth skylight he was covering.

Production manager David Smith denied he had given either Mr Perry or Mr Cromack permission to be on the roof.

Coroner Richard Fleming asked Mr Smith: "Did anyone at all bring to your attention what they were doing?"

Mr Smith replied: "No, not at all, I wish they did. I would have prevented it if I had known about it. They should not have been on the roof."

Mr Fleming then asked Mr Smith: 'Have you ever known any other employee going on the roof?"

"No, it is so far-fetched. You would not expect it," he said.

The hearing continues.