Roof fall results in suspended prison sentence

Date:

25 August 2011

Release No:

HSE-e-38-11

A self-employed roofing contractor from Essex has been given a suspended prison sentence after an incident in which a friend fell through the roof of a domestic garage - and later died of his injuries.

The gap in the roof through which Mr Waughman fell

Steve Mason had been contracted to replace a flat roof on a double garage at a house in Well Lane, Stock, near Chelmsford, and James Waughman was accompanying him.

While on site Mr Waughman, 58, of Perry Road, Tiptree, suffered a stroke and fell through a gap in the rafters on to the garage floor, suffering multiple injuries. He died in hospital on 17 July 2009, just over three weeks after the incident on 24 June.

Steve Mason, also 58 and of Perry Road, Tiptree, received an eight month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, and was ordered to pay £500 costs today at Chelmsford Crown Court after admitting breaching section 3 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Lesley Balkham said:

The gap in the roof through which Mr Waughman fell

"This sends out a powerful message to roofing contractors. Steve Mason failed to properly consider the risks of the job and act to limit the chances of injury or even death. He should have put guard-rails around the edge of the roof and taken measures to prevent anyone falling through it, but he chose not to.

"No matter what size the business, everyone in the construction industry should be very familiar with the risks of working at height and appreciate the importance of ensuring that the right precautions are put in place, however small the job. Falls from height remain one of the biggest causes of workplace deaths in the UK."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Section 3(2) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every self-employed person to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that he and other persons (not being his employees) who maybe affected thereby, are not thereby exposed to risks to their health and safety."

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