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A roofing firm based in Derby has been fined by Derby Magistrates Court after two of its roofers were seen working on a roof in Swadlincote without using any safety equipment.

Aquacoat Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after its inspectors, who happened to be passing the Oldfield Drive site in June last year, saw that the contractor’s roofing team were not using any safety equipment to prevent anyone from falling and injuring themselves.

Working at height is a basic element of health and safety training, and one that all roofing contractors should be aware of.

After being found guilty of breaching two sections of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, Aquacoat Ltd was fined a total of £10,000 and was ordered to pay £4,177 in court costs.

Commenting on the case, HSE inspector Martin Giles said:

“Fortunately no-one was injured on this occasion, but this was a blatant disregard for health and safety which put both workers and members of the public in danger.
“Roofing work requires careful planning and assessment of the risks involved. In this case employees were working without the correct equipment to protect them from falls or to protect passers-by from falling material.”