The Health & Safety Executive was tipped off about Terry Colwell鈥檚 working practices on 27th August 2014 when he was working at Sabine Gates, Old Bracknell Lane, Bracknell.
Reading Magistrates鈥� Court heard that Terry Colwell, trading as T Colwell Roofing, had been contracted to undertake roof repairs to the property by Grosvenor Court (Bracknell) Management Company.
Terry Colwell chose to carry out the work without a scaffold, working at heights of up to eight metres with no fall protection or falling object protection to protect members of the public. He took on the work for 拢650. The price of a scaffold would have been between 拢1400 and 拢1500.
Terry Colwell, trading as T Colwell Roofing, of Hardwell Way, Harmans Water, Bracknell, was fined a total of 拢2,000 and ordered to pay 拢1,966 in costs after pleading guilty to a single breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
After the hearing HSE Inspector John Caboche said: 鈥淭his was a serious incident that could have ended in tragedy for Mr Colwell or a member of the public had he fallen or had a loose roof tile been dislodged during the repairs.
鈥淭he incident was wholly preventable and could have been avoided had Mr Colwell used a scaffold and not undercut the other roofing company and if the operation been better planned and managed.
鈥淚t is essential that roof work is carefully assessed by competent persons, with a plan in place to prevent falls of persons and objects. Roof work remains one of the most dangerous activities in the construction sphere.鈥�
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