Roofer Fined Over Incident

Construction firms should regard the decision to fine a roofer over his failure to protect workers from falls as a wake-up call, a leading workplace injury expert at Irwin Mitchell has claimed.

Joseph Jones of Pentre, South Wales was fined £1,000 and order to pay costs over an incident in which four of his employees were seen balancing dangerously on the roof of a barn.

A Health and Safety Executive inspector called for the workers to stop work at the site until scaffolding or the required edge protection was put in place. The prosecution was pursued due to the potential risk to the workers’ lives.

Commenting on the decision, accident at work claims specialist David Urpeth said: “Falls from height are far too common in the construction industry and it is vital that companies do all they can to fully address the issue of worker safety.

“Sadly this case is an example of how some organisations are still failing to recognise or simply ignoring the potential risks that working at height can pose to workers.

“Health and safety needs to be at the top of the agenda for all businesses, so I urge construction firms to act now to ensure that they are putting the welfare of their employees first.”