The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a roofing contractor for failing to use safety equipment to prevent either himself or his employees from falling from height.

Between 8 December, 2008 and 16 January, 2009, 44-year-old Dean Paul Shaw of Kirby Muxloe in Leicestershire – trading as Streamline Guttering and Cladding – and of his two employees were working on the roof of a 7-metre high building.

The three men accessed the roof by a mobile tower at the front of the building – however, while working on the back of the building, they had no tower or scaffolding in place.

On Wednesday (23/03/10) at Loughborough Magistrates’ Court, Mr Shaw pleaded guilty to breaching three regulations of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He was fined £4,950 and ordered to pay costs of £1,314.40.

The court heard that, by not providing adequate safety equipment, Mr Shaw had failed to ensure that the installation of new guttering was properly planned. The HSE investigation also found that he did not provide appropriate supervision – and failed to prevent, as far as reasonably practicable, any person from falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Mhairi Lockwood said:

‘All three workers were walking across the roof – which also had fragile roof lights – to work on the back of the premises where there was no protection to stop them from falling.

‘There was also a sharp palisade fence below, which could have caused horrific injuries if anyone had fallen on it.

Falls from height cause more workplace deaths than anything else,’ Ms Lockwood added. ‘HSE’s current ‘Shattered Lives’ campaign promotes awareness of the serious consequences of slips, trips and falls. Working at height can be very dangerous if the right measures are not taken to protect workers.’

The HSE says that in 2009, more than 4,000 employees suffered major injuries after falling from height at work – and 21 workers in the construction industry died.

More information on the HSE’s 'Shattered Lives' campaign is available at www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives.

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