Roofer given suspended sentence after man falls from scaffold
A self-employed roofer receives a suspended prison sentence after a man suffers serious injuries, falling from scaffold in Devon.
Daniel was given a custodial sentence, following his worker, Iain, 36, falling from a height of more than 25 feet.
Father of three carried old roof slates down a ladder attached to the scaffold when he fell. As a result, he suffered serious injuries, including five broken vertebrae, as well as skull and rib fractures. Devon Air Ambulance took Iain to Derriford Hospital where he was put into an induced coma for five days. He has since made a remarkable recovery but does still suffer from the effects of his injuries.
An investigation by the HSE found that Daniel Hooper, 28, failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his employee. He did not undertake any planning or appropriately supervise the work or supply suitable equipment to do the task safely.
Falls from height, a leading cause of workplace death
Falls from height remain a leading cause of workplace death and serious injury.
Tip: HSE guidance on working at height can be found at HSE guidance about how these incidents can be avoided.
It is vital that employers plan work at height on any size building or roof work project. Every employer should take suitable and sufficient measures to prevent any person falling a distance liable to cause personal injury. While ladders can be used for accessing a scaffold platform, they should only be used for low risk and short duration tasks. Work equipment or other measures must be used to prevent falls where working at height cannot be avoided.
Daniel Hooper failed to ensure the safety of Iain Smith and was given a suspended prison sentence.
HSE Investigation reveals breaches
The HSE investigation found that ladders were used to transfer heavy slate tiles to and from the scaffolding platform. As a result, practice was not, so far as reasonably practicable, safe. Alternative methods of transferring the slate tiles to and from a scaffolding platform can eliminate the need for ladders. These include the use of a pulley system or use of a mechanical conveyor.
Daniel Hooper, pleaded guilty to breaching the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work in the community. He was also ordered to pay costs of £10,875.
HSE inspector Thomas Preston said “Falls from height account for around half of all deaths in the construction industry and Mr Smith is very fortunate to still be alive today.
“The risks of working at height and the control measures are well established, including the need to supervise the work appropriately. Alternative methods of moving materials up and down from a scaffold platform are available and must be considered when planning roofing projects.”
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