April 13, 2011 4.01 pm This story is over 154 months old

Lincoln roofing firm fined for unsafe work

Unsafe: A Lincoln building company was fined after workers were spotted without safety equipment on.

A Lincoln firm has been fined after two of its workers were caught on CCTV carrying out work without any safety equipment.

In June 2010 CCTV operatives reported the workers after spotting them making repairs to the roof of a Cooperative Travel shop in Balderton, Notts.

They were undertaking repairs immediately above the public entrance to the store using no safety equipment, edge protection or harnesses to prevent falls.

Graham Nicholson Roofing Ltd, of Nettleham Road, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to breaching section 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The company was fined £2,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,500 at the Newark Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, April 13.

After the hearing, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Stephen Farthing explained the two men were risking their lives.

“Fortunately no one was injured on this occasion, but both employees and members of the public were at risk.

“This was a blatant disregard for health and safety which put both workers and members of the public in danger.

“Roofing work requires careful planning and assessment of the risks involved. In this case employees were working without the correct equipment to protect them from falls or to protect passers-by from falling material.

“Falls from height are the biggest cause of workplace deaths and it’s crucial that employers make sure work is properly planned, appropriately supervised and that sufficient measures are put in place to protect staff and members of the public.”

Last month work was stopped immediately at 10 construction sites across Lincoln after they were deemed so dangerous that worker’s lives were at risk.

Source: Health and Safety Executive