This week a director of a roofing company, 3A Roofing, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive. A concern over the health and safety of the work being carried out on a house of one of his customers was brought to the attention of the HSE by a concerned citizen. A member of the public was so concerned that they filmed the director of the company working without safety measures on the ridge of the roof.
Dangerous Machinery Used at Height Without Precautions
The director, Anthony Nightingale was operating a disc cutter which runs on petrol without any safety equipment. As a fellow employee stood close by they were on the roof and had no roof ladder to help them manoeuvre safely, and no protection was positioned around the edge of the roof to prevent falls.
Mr Nightingale was fined for failing himself and his employee. After pleading guilty for breaching the Work at height Regulations he was ordered to pay £3,000 in costs and was fined a total of £1,315. £15 of the fine was a victim surcharge.
Working at Height is The Leading Cause of Deaths in the Workplace
This case has highlighted the problems faced within the construction industry concerning health and safety when working at height. By law the director had a duty to ensure safety measures were in place to reduce and control risks associated with falling. In addition to the safety measures equipment is also required. Both of the men were seen walking on the edge of the unguarded roof edge, which could have easily led to a fall and serious injury if not death. Furthermore without access to roof ladders both of the men were seen climbing up and down the tiles to gain access to different parts of the roof.
Receive Training to Reduce Risks
The health and safety of workers, when working at height, is of paramount importance and a legal requirement. There were fifteen deaths in 2010-2011 and over 4000 injuries which were considered serious. Health and safety training is vital to prevent accidents and to ensure all owners and directors implement procedures to manage, control and reduce risks. Call 0808 1966 830 to find out more about construction site safety training courses such as the SMSTS and SSSTS.