Health & Safety Alert

A contractor has been fined after a worker suffered serious injuries after falling from height.

Magistrates Court heard how a subcontractor suffered a fractured vertebra with chest and head injuries after falling through an unprotected skylight.

The investigation carried out by the HSE has found that the principal contractor failed to ensure the safety of those working on the roof. It was also found that there were a number of areas on the roof where workers could have fallen.

The principal contractor has been convicted of breaching working at height regulations and have been fined ￡30,000 and ordered to pay costs of ￡18,281.70.

SafeAid UK Ltd believes that we should not be working under principal contractor control without looking at our own safety management first. Roofing contractors need to be more vigilant in the working conditions and about what they have been told by the principal contractor in regards to health and safety.

My opinion would be that if you as professional roofers are not happy with conditions on site, or if there is working at height issue, then make sure the principal contractor is informed and that they do something about it immediately.

Make sure you have proper risk assessments and method statements in place so that everybody agrees on a safe system of work.

Do not put yourselves or your employees at risk!

Your Health & Safety Policyshould be giving you all the information you need about what the company will or will not do i.e. control measures relating to working near skylights etc. If it doesn’t, then please let us know so that we may evaluate and update.