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Reckless roofer made to pay

10 Jun 16 A cut-price roofer who chose to work off a ladder with no scaffold and no fall protection has been ordered to pay £4,000 for his lack of precautions.

Terry Colwell at work
Terry Colwell at work

The Health & Safety Executive was tipped off about Terry Colwell’s working practices on 27th August 2014 when he was working at Sabine Gates, Old Bracknell Lane, Bracknell.

Reading Magistrates’ Court heard that Terry Colwell, trading as T Colwell Roofing, had been contracted to undertake roof repairs to the property by Grosvenor Court (Bracknell) Management Company.

Terry Colwell chose to carry out the work without a scaffold, working at heights of up to eight metres with no fall protection or falling object protection to protect members of the public. He took on the work for £650. The price of a scaffold would have been between £1400 and £1500.

Terry Colwell, trading as T Colwell Roofing, of Hardwell Way, Harmans Water, Bracknell, was fined a total of £2,000 and ordered to pay £1,966 in costs after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

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After the hearing HSE Inspector John Caboche said: “This was a serious incident that could have ended in tragedy for Mr Colwell or a member of the public had he fallen or had a loose roof tile been dislodged during the repairs.

“The incident was wholly preventable and could have been avoided had Mr Colwell used a scaffold and not undercut the other roofing company and if the operation been better planned and managed.

“It is essential that roof work is carefully assessed by competent persons, with a plan in place to prevent falls of persons and objects. Roof work remains one of the most dangerous activities in the construction sphere.”

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