Fear for Merseyside roofers after formal warnings double

Date:

19 February 2010

Release No:

HSE/NW/023Roofers

Roofing companies in Merseyside are being urged not put their employees in danger after the number of formal warnings issued last year more than doubled.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) handed out 69 enforcement notices in Merseyside in the first ten months of 2009 covering unsafe work at height, compared to 30 during the same period in 2008.

A roofer balances on a sloping house roof in Neston while he hoses it down

HSE is concerned that some companies may be trying to save money by allowing employees to work on roofs without scaffolding or other safety equipment. It is launching a joint initiative with Trading Standards to raise awareness about the dangers and of standard of work expected in the industry.

Falls from height are the biggest single cause of workplace deaths in the UK. During 2008/9, 112 workers in Merseyside suffered major injuries from a fall and another 174 had to take at least three days off to recover.

More than 400 roofers across Merseyside are now being contacted and asked to attend a safety awareness event in Wallasey on 23 February, or risk an unannounced visit from an inspector.

A worker crouching on the roof of a semi-detached house in Woolton, about to lift up a stack of tiles

HSE has also released photos showing some of the unsafe work spotted by inspectors. One photo shows a man balancing on a sloping house roof in Neston while he hoses it down. Another shows a worker crouched on the roof of a semi-detached house in Woolton, about to lift up a stack of tiles.

Neil Jamieson, a Principal Inspector for HSE in the North West, said:

"We're worried that some roofing companies in Merseyside are trying to cut down on costs and undercut each other by not using scaffolding and other safety equipment.

"Falls from height kill dozens of workers every year and seriously injure hundreds more. But the number of deaths will carry on rising if firms don't accept they're putting their workers in danger.

"We will continue to take action against companies that do not take the safety of their workers seriously, and will prosecute those that fail to provide the necessary scaffolding.

"It simply isn't worth companies trying to cut costs if lives are going to be put at risk. And it will cost them time and money in the long run if we decide to take legal action."

The event has been organised as part of the Working Well Together initiative - a partnership between HSE and the construction industry - which aims to improve health and safety in the sector.

It is being promoted as part of HSE's Shattered Lives campaign, which was launched earlier this month. The campaign is highlighting the dangers of slips, trips and falls in workplaces and urging businesses to take simple steps to avoid injuries.

More information on preventing slips, trips and falls is available at www.hse.gov.uk/shatteredlives.

Notes to editors

1. During the first ten months of 2009, HSE issued 8 enforcement notices in Knowsley covering breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, 29 in Liverpool, 13 in Sefton, 10 in St Helens and 9 in Wirral. During the same period in 2008, it issued 2 in Knowsley, 15 in Liverpool, 6 in Sefton, 5 in St Helens and 2 in Wirral. More details are available at www.hse.gov.uk/notices.
2. HSE issues enforcement notices when it finds serious breaches of health and safety regulations. There are two types of notices - improvement and prohibition - which require changes to be made within a set timescale or stop work from taking place until improvements have been made.
3. The following table lists the number of serious injuries involving falls from height in each local authority area in Merseyside during 2008/9. Three-day injuries refer to injuries which required workers to take at least three days off work.

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