London Roofing Firm Fined

Failing to provide adequate safety measures exposes staff to risks

A HSE inspector visited the site on 11 July 2013 and discovered four workers replacing the roof of a house in Stanmore using only ladders for access and no scaffolding was in place. No workers were injured, but the HSE prosecuted Mr Rajveer Goraya of Taj Construction Roofing for failing to provide adequate safety measures and exposing his staff to safety risks.

Mr Goraya was found guilty of breaching regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £5,000 plus £13,743 costs for his negligence.

According to the HSE, Mr Goraya is the fourth contractor to be prosecuted for this type of offence in London within the past year. Inspector Jack Wilby said after the hearing, “Work on a roof without safety measures to prevent people falling is unacceptable.” He went on to point out that there are also risks to people on the ground, such as the homeowner, when safety measures are deliberately overlooked. “Fortunately no incidents occurred on this occasion and HSE were able to intervene before a fall from height could occur.”

It is unclear why the HSE attended the site on this particular occasion, but it should remain a priority for contractors to protect their workers, their clients and the general public but ensuring the correct, regulatory safety measures are in place before any works begin. Find out more about the current regulations for Work at Height situations.

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