NEWS


ROOFER GIVEN SUSPENDED SENTENCE AFTER MAN FALLS FROM SCAFFOLD


A self-employed roofer has received a suspended prison sentence after a man suffered serious injuries after falling from scaffolding in Devon.


Daniel Hooper was given a 16-week custodial sentence, which will be suspended for a period of 12 months, following Iain Smith, 36, falling from a height of more than 25 feet while working for him, on 13 June 2023.


Father of three Mr Smith had been manually carrying old roof slates down a ladder attached to the scaffold platform at a domestic property in Honiton when he fell, suffering serious injury, including five broken vertebrae, as well as skull and rib fractures. Devon Air Ambulance took Mr Smith to Derriford Hospital where he was put into an induced coma for five days. He has since made a remarkable recovery but does still suffer from the effects of his injuries.


COMPANY FINED FOR FAILURES AT WASTE AND RECYCLING CENTRE


A company that operates several household waste and recycling centres in Wales has been fined for failing to protect workers and members of the public.


Sundorne Products (Llanidloes) Limited pleaded guilty to the failures identified at Llandrindod Wells Household Waste and Recycling Centre in Powys. The charges arose following an inspection by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on 6 October 2022.


A HSE inspector identified a risk of serious injury to both workers and the public. Action was taken to stop the use of three waste compactor machines due to there being unrestricted access to the controls and to dangerous parts of the machines, namely the compaction chambers.


Further enforcement action was taken to secure improvements in the management arrangements and improved control measures.


A subsequent HSE investigation identified that the risks associated with the compactors operation had not been adequately assessed and there was no clear instruction or training provided to workers. The pre-use checks were considered inadequate and there was no recognised safe method of clearing blockages within the compaction chambers.


Sundorne Products (Llanidloes) Limited of Potter House, Henfaes Lane, Welshpool, Powys, pleaded guilty to


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An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Daniel Hooper, 28, trading as Hooper Roofing, failed to ensure the health, safety and welfare of his employee as he did not undertake any planning or appropriately supervise the work at height or supply suitable equipment to do the task safely.


The HSE investigation found that ladders were used to transfer heavy slate tiles to and from the scaffolding platform and this practice was not, so far as reasonably practicable, safe. There are alternative methods of transferring the slate tiles to and from a scaffolding platform that eliminate the need for ladders to be used for this task. These include the use of a pulley system or use of a mechanical conveyor.


Daniel Hooper, of Brook Road, Cullompton, Devon pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. He was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work in the community at Exeter Magistrates Court on 6 February 2025. He was also ordered to pay costs of £10,875.


breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £10,077 at a hearing at Welshpool Magistrates Court on 28 January 2025.


Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Joe Boast said: “Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working. The charges extend to failings in respect of risks to the public.”


“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”


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