A Merseyside roofing company owner has received a suspended sentence after a report was made regarding unsafe work at height
On 5 March 2021, Liverpool Crown Court heard how roofing company owner Phillip McGinn and other two workers were replacing roof tiles on a detached dormer bungalow in Lydiate, Merseyside, without any scaffolding or edge protection in place to prevent them from falling a distance liable to cause personal injury.
Investigation
The investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) revealed that Phillip McGinn did not take the necessary measures to ensure that work at height was carried out safely.
McGinn had failed to provide sufficient work equipment to prevent a fall or to minimise the distance or consequences of a fall – and this was not the first time McGinn had overseen poor working practices.
The HSE took previous enforcement action and prosecuted Mr McGinn for a similar offence in 2012.
Verdict
Phillip McGinn of Lydiate, Merseyside, was found guilty of breaching Section 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
He received a thirteen-month suspended prison sentence and 200 hours of unpaid work and was ordered to pay costs of £1,000.
Following the hearing HSE inspector Anthony Stuart Hadfield commented:
“Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standard”.
