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Roofer fined after ignoring prohibition notice

13 Jan 12 A Lancashire roofer has been prosecuted after he and two employees were spotted on a shop roof without any fall protection.

Ross Singleton (left) and colleague at work
Ross Singleton (left) and colleague at work

Ross Singleton, who trades as Ross's Roofing, was photographed by an inspector from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) as he and the other two workers repaired the roof of a hairdressers' on Skipton Road in Colne.

Burnley Magistrates' Court heard that the inspector immediately issued a prohibition notice ordering the men to come down from the roof but they later returned to the roof without any safety measures in place.

The court was told that Mr Singleton had also put members of the public at risk as he was working above a busy row of shops, and any falling debris could have struck someone.

Ross Singleton, 23 of Dickson Street in Colne, pleaded guilty to breaches of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 after he failed to take action to prevent workers being injured in a fall, and ignored a prohibition notice. He was fined £350 and ordered to pay £300 in prosecution costs on 12 January 2012.

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Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Jacqueline Western said: "Ross Singleton and the two other men were working nearly three metres above the ground - a height that could have resulted in a serious injury if any of them had fallen.

"He should have treated the prohibition notice as a formal warning and stopped work until safety measures, such as guard rails, were in place. Instead he ignored the notice and has found himself in court as a result.

"Dozens of people die every year as a result of a fall while at work. Roofers should treat the risks seriously and take action to make sure workers stay safe."

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MPU

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