Two roofers were caught working on a Swadlincote roof without any safety equipment, a court heard. Derby Magistrates’ Court fined contractors Aquacoat Ltd after the men were seen risking their lives on the roof of the house in Oldfield Drive, Swadlincote on 15 June 2010.
Passing Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors noticed the men were using no safety equipment to prevent falls whilst cleaning the roof of the property. This unsafe system of work risked injury to the roofers themselves and the homeowner.
Aquacoat Ltd of Pride Park, Derby, were found guilty of breaching sections 4(1) and 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. It was fined £10,000 with £4,177.65 costs.
HSE inspector Martin Giles said: “Fortunately no one was injured on this occasion, but this was a blatant disregard for health and safety which put both workers and members of the public in danger.
“Roofing work requires careful planning and assessment of the risks involved. In this case employees were working without the correct equipment to protect them from falls or to protect passers by from falling material.
“Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths and it is 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.”
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