Colne roofer admits breach of health and safety (From Lancashire Telegraph)
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Colne roofer admits breach of health and safety
8:30pm Friday 13th January 2012 in Colne
A ROOFER caught working without safety equipment on a roof in Pendle tried to shout down a health and safety inspector, a court heard.
Ross Singleton, 23, and colleagues were working above the Deb N Hair salon in Skipton Road, Barrowford, when inspector Jacqueline Western arrived, Reedley Magistrates' Court was told.
Singleton became ‘aggresive and hostile’ when the inspector told him his working practices were unsafe, the court heard.
Miss Western, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive, said she imposed a prohibition notice on the operation, on the grounds it posed a risk to not only the workmen but customers of the hair salon and nearby post office.
But when she returned, the repairs were still continuing. The workers were using flame lamps and gas bottles to remove a roof on the shop’s extension but there was no protection.
Singleton, of Dickson Street, Colne, who trades as Ross’s Roofing, went to hire a tower scaffold but it was not high enough to cover the works.
Defence solicitor Christian Kavanagh said his client felt that the job was ‘low risk’ but had taken steps once the inspector visited. The roof had been removed so he believed he needed to complete the job to prevent a flooding risk at the premises.
And the HSE, which tried to claim more than £3,000 in costs for bringing the case, came under fire from Mr Kavanagh.
He told the court the 34 hours the case was said to have taken to prepare had left him ‘dumbfounded’.
Magistrates chairman Cartmel said the Bench was impressed by the enterprise of the 23-year-old, who ran his own company, but there was risk to passers-by and workers.
Singleton, who admitted contravening health and safety advice and a prohibition notice, was fined £350 with just £300 costs.
Speaking after the hearing, inspector Western said: "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."
Comments(20)
lightamatch catcharabbit
says...
11:18pm Fri 13 Jan 12
and we've had a dry winter....
Cha'mone MF
says...
7:48am Sat 14 Jan 12
lightamatch catcharabbit wrote:You can't put a price on safety, rules about health and safety exist for a reason. Its not just the prospect of him falling off and hitting somebody there is a consideration in relation to his safety too regardless of how hap hazard he is.
alternatively, just another jobsworth spending £3,000 of taxpayers' money. if he did fall off, how likley is it that he would hit someone, and if he didn't....
and we've had a dry winter....
colnelad
says...
8:48am Sat 14 Jan 12
Cha'mone MF wrote:If he asked the customer for an extra £500 for scaffolding he more than likely would of lost the job and then you'd be calling him a rip-off,so ross is not going to win either way is he.
Just another cowboy tradesman putting the safety of others at risk for financial gain. Should have closed him down for everyone's sake.
I know ross and he's not a cowboy and a very good roofer with high standards just trying to make a honest living not like other roofers doing shoddy work and charging a million quid
Dusty Snatchmonger
says...
8:54am Sat 14 Jan 12
Dusty Snatchmonger
says...
9:02am Sat 14 Jan 12
http://www.hse.gov.u
k/press/2012/coi-nw-
71singleton.htm
BurnleyPeter
says...
9:23am Sat 14 Jan 12
bellas
says...
11:14am Sat 14 Jan 12
Ross-Roofing
says...
11:43am Sat 14 Jan 12
I was approached by the H&S officer on Skipton road, Colne in May last year. She advised me to go and hire appropriate tower scaffold which would be suitable to protect the edge of the flat roof.
Not mentioned in her notes but she actually had taken some photographs before approaching me about this incident.
The scaffold I hired straight away was tall enough to reach the roofline but as we was erecting it the rain started which meant I had to go back on the roof to sheet up before the shop occurred possibly more damage due to it being open to the eliments.
As for the person commented saying I should be closed down I don't agree with this and rightly so, if I would have had the roof scaffolded professionally it would have costed between £400-£500 which the owner of the hair dressers would have not been happy with this charge aswel as the roof repair.
Due to the quality of our workmanship Mr Thornton who runs the post office next door requested that we re-felted his roof also.
An honest young man trying to make an honest living rather than most my age who clearly get every penny then can from the government in benefits.
Accyasain786
says...
4:29pm Sat 14 Jan 12
Ross-Roofing wrote:Hear hear mate. I couldn't agree with you any more about hiring scaffolding professionally, clients automatically assume that all tradesmen have their own scaffolding and are just trying it on.
I'd just like to have my say on this matter, I was approached by the H&S officer on Skipton road, Colne in May last year. She advised me to go and hire appropriate tower scaffold which would be suitable to protect the edge of the flat roof. Not mentioned in her notes but she actually had taken some photographs before approaching me about this incident. The scaffold I hired straight away was tall enough to reach the roofline but as we was erecting it the rain started which meant I had to go back on the roof to sheet up before the shop occurred possibly more damage due to it being open to the eliments. As for the person commented saying I should be closed down I don't agree with this and rightly so, if I would have had the roof scaffolded professionally it would have costed between £400-£500 which the owner of the hair dressers would have not been happy with this charge aswel as the roof repair. Due to the quality of our workmanship Mr Thornton who runs the post office next door requested that we re-felted his roof also. An honest young man trying to make an honest living rather than most my age who clearly get every penny then can from the government in benefits.
colnelad
says...
5:18pm Sat 14 Jan 12
Ross-Roofing wrote:Well said ross, keep up the good work that your doing and L,E,T tell your so called chief to have some geography lessons
I'd just like to have my say on this matter, I was approached by the H&S officer on Skipton road, Colne in May last year. She advised me to go and hire appropriate tower scaffold which would be suitable to protect the edge of the flat roof. Not mentioned in her notes but she actually had taken some photographs before approaching me about this incident. The scaffold I hired straight away was tall enough to reach the roofline but as we was erecting it the rain started which meant I had to go back on the roof to sheet up before the shop occurred possibly more damage due to it being open to the eliments. As for the person commented saying I should be closed down I don't agree with this and rightly so, if I would have had the roof scaffolded professionally it would have costed between £400-£500 which the owner of the hair dressers would have not been happy with this charge aswel as the roof repair. Due to the quality of our workmanship Mr Thornton who runs the post office next door requested that we re-felted his roof also. An honest young man trying to make an honest living rather than most my age who clearly get every penny then can from the government in benefits.
Michael@ClitheroeSince58
says...
12:03am Sun 15 Jan 12
Ross-Roofing wrote:I'm hoping to re-do my roof some time soon as my under felt is shot I would have no worries at all using you, this whole story is a joke and just proves what a joke health and safety has become. All the best Ross-Roofing you earn your brass the hard way not like some little Hitlers in make believe jobs.
I'd just like to have my say on this matter,
I was approached by the H&S officer on Skipton road, Colne in May last year. She advised me to go and hire appropriate tower scaffold which would be suitable to protect the edge of the flat roof.
Not mentioned in her notes but she actually had taken some photographs before approaching me about this incident.
The scaffold I hired straight away was tall enough to reach the roofline but as we was erecting it the rain started which meant I had to go back on the roof to sheet up before the shop occurred possibly more damage due to it being open to the eliments.
As for the person commented saying I should be closed down I don't agree with this and rightly so, if I would have had the roof scaffolded professionally it would have costed between £400-£500 which the owner of the hair dressers would have not been happy with this charge aswel as the roof repair.
Due to the quality of our workmanship Mr Thornton who runs the post office next door requested that we re-felted his roof also.
An honest young man trying to make an honest living rather than most my age who clearly get every penny then can from the government in benefits.
bellas
says...
1:17am Sun 15 Jan 12
Michael@ClitheroeSinRE;
ce58 wrote:
Ross-Roofing wrote: I'd just like to have my say on this matter, I was approached by the H&S officer on Skipton road, Colne in May last year. She advised me to go and hire appropriate tower scaffold which would be suitable to protect the edge of the flat roof. Not mentioned in her notes but she actually had taken some photographs before approaching me about this incident. The scaffold I hired straight away was tall enough to reach the roofline but as we was erecting it the rain started which meant I had to go back on the roof to sheet up before the shop occurred possibly more damage due to it being open to the eliments. As for the person commented saying I should be closed down I don't agree with this and rightly so, if I would have had the roof scaffolded professionally it would have costed between £400-£500 which the owner of the hair dressers would have not been happy with this charge aswel as the roof repair. Due to the quality of our workmanship Mr Thornton who runs the post office next door requested that we re-felted his roof also. An honest young man trying to make an honest living rather than most my age who clearly get every penny then can from the government in benefits.I'm hoping to re-do my roof some time soon as my under felt is shot I would have no worries at all using you, this whole story is a joke and just proves what a joke health and safety has become. All the best Ross-Roofing you earn your brass the hard way not like some little Hitlers in make believe jobs.
Michael@ClitheroeSin
ce58
this whole story is a joke and just proves what a joke health and safety has become. All the best Ross-Roofing you earn your brass the hard way not like some little Hitlers in make believe jobs.”
HERE HERE !!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work ross.
ray_pearson
says...
10:19am Sun 15 Jan 12
bellas
says...
10:21am Sun 15 Jan 12
katypri
says...
5:10pm Mon 16 Jan 12
bellas
says...
7:38pm Mon 16 Jan 12
watchingbrief
says...
10:31am Tue 17 Jan 12
I also wonder just how many of those who have commented on the article are employed and would accept such lax standards from their employers. Or perhaps they now simply accept because H&S has gone mad it is perfectly acceptable for them to be told to work like this roofer did and if they fell and suffered life changing injuries then no ‘compo’ on the way ‘cos it is just part of getting the job done? After all it was going to cost a whopping £500 to provide the protection.
I can see madness but it isn’t H&S.
bellas
says...
1:01pm Tue 17 Jan 12
Ross-Roofing
says...
12:58pm Wed 18 Jan 12
Ignorance or arrogance doesn't come into this at any point. My solicitor wrote to the Health & Safety officer a few days after this incident stating that I had taken responsibility for my actions and as this is my first ever dealing with this sort of matter would she give me a formal caution on the basis I'd make sure every job was up to the h&s requirements.
She blatantly said no and she wanted to take matters further so in my eyes and I'm sure everyone else's it's her who's wasted tax payers money.. Not me!
As for the "whopping £500" for scaffold, as a customer would you be prepared to pay this amount for a small roof repair that costs less than £100? So in essence you'd be paying around £600 for a small roof repair?
Cha'mone MF says...
10:03pm Fri 13 Jan 12