The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has successfully prosecuted a self-employed builder for contravening the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
David Clark, from Chippenham in Wiltshire, was fined £2,000 with costs of £1,500 after construction inspectors found that none of the safety measures for working at height had been taken during work on the roof of a farm building. No nets or barriers had been put in place to ensure the safety of Mr Clark and the two other men carrying out the work.
The HSE said that the risks identified were considerable but no steps had been taken to prevent the three men from falling from the roof. Even though there was no injury in this case, the HSE considered that the risk of injury associated with the work, together with the shortfall in the level of control over the risk, warranted prosecution.
The HSE intends to be proactive when carrying out health and safety inspections, preventing injuries before they happen. Those involved in the construction industry should be aware that where HSE inspectors identify a failure in safety standards, they could bring prosecutions in addition to bringing a halt to the work.
HSE Principal Construction Inspector Andrew Kingscott said: "We are not prepared to wait for an injury to occur before taking action. This initiative of proactive, risk-led prosecutions means cases can be brought to court more quickly."
Falling from a height is the most common type of accident in Great Britain, accounting for 22 per cent of fatal injuries to workers in 2005/2006. For information on the Work at Height Regulations and useful guidance, see the HSE website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/falls/index.htm.
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