Firm fined for unsafe roof work

Nov. 29, 2011 - PRLog -- Three roofers were spotted working on top of a Nottingham cash and carry store without any safety equipment by a passing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector, a court heard.

Nottingham Magistrates' Court today fined roofing contractors SPV Road Carpet Ltd after the men were found risking their lives at the store on the Lenton industrial estate on 20 May 2009.
The roofers were spotted working without any safety equipment by a passing HSE inspector[1]

The roofers were spotted working without any safety equipment by a passing HSE inspector

SPV employee, Lewis Male, was also prosecuted for failing to take reasonable care of himself and others. The court heard Mr Male was replacing sky lights with two others on the roof when he was spotted by a passing HSE inspector.

The inspector noticed the workers were using no safety equipment, edge protection or harnesses to prevent falls. It was discovered this unsafe system of work had continued over a period of three weeks, risking injury to the roofers and to employees and customers inside the store.

SPV Road Carpet Ltd, of Aldridge, Walsall pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to protect their own employees and members of the public in the store at the time. It was fined £14,000 with £6,659 costs.

Mr Male, of Parsons Cross, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 7 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £480 and ordered to pay costs of £650.

HSE inspector Frances Bailey said:

"Roofing work requires careful planning and assessment of the risks involved. In this case employees had been working for three weeks without the correct equipment to protect them from falls and without adequate supervision.

"Fortunately no one was injured on this occasion, but both employees and members of the public inside the store below were at risk.

"Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths and it's crucial that employers make sure work is properly planned, appropriately supervised and that sufficient measures are put in place to protect staff and members of the public from the risks."

Last year more than 4,000 employees suffered major injuries after falling from height at work, and 21 workers in the construction industry died. For more information on HSE's shattered lives campaign go to www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives

http://www.pwc.uk.com

Article sourced from:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/coi-em-256.htm

# # #

PWC, as a working at height service providing company, has many years experience providing professional services to both the commercial and construction sectors.