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A director has been handed a suspended prison sentence after his workers were caught on camera working on a roof at night while using their phones as torches. The company and the company director were prosecuted for putting the lives of workers at risk during a roof renovation in Surrey.

An HSE investigation revealed that on 21 February 2023, workers were spotted operating on the roof of a house in Dorking, without scaffolding or edge protection, exposing them to the risk of falling from height. No fall mitigation measures, such as harnesses, were in place and investigators also noted that workers relied on phone lights and torches to carry out their tasks at night.

A week later, the HSE issued an Improvement Notice instructing the company to enhance its planning, execution, supervision, and monitoring of roofing work. But the company failed to comply with the notice.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations, along with sections 33(1)(c) and 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company received a fine of £4,000, was ordered to pay £1,500 in costs, and incurred a victim surcharge of £1,600.

Twenty-year-old company director admitted breaching regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations, as well as sections 33(1)(c) and 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. He received a six-month prison sentence, suspended for two years, was mandated to complete 120 hours of unpaid work, and was disqualified from serving as a director for three years. Additionally, he was ordered to pay £1,500 in prosecution costs.

Falls from height are still the single biggest cause of work-related deaths in Great Britain. The law is clear – suitable and sufficient measures must be taken to prevent, where reasonably practicable, any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.

Source – IOSH

HSCS Scotland Promoting a Healthier Workplace Through Safety
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