Man Spared Jail For Carrying Out Unsafe Roof Work On Own Home -

A MAN WAS spared jail after carrying out unsafe roof work on his own home in Manchester.

In August 2020, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served enforcement notices in relation to work being carried out from an unsafe scaffold at the property in Old Trafford. The scaffold was subsequently dismantled, and work put on hold.

However, in November 2021, the same inspector found that property owner Abdul Rehman was in control of and instructing operatives to re-roof his home, as well as help him build an extension to the property.

The work was being carried out without any form of fixed scaffolding or other equally effective measures to prevent the risk of a fall from height from the unprotected two storey roof.

Unsafe Roof Work

HSE issued a further prohibition notice to prevent the unsafe work, but Abdul continued to instruct, supervise and assist it.

This went on for several weeks and included work during the hours of darkness and in breach of the prohibition notice while continuing to put the lives of the workers at risk.

A fixed safe scaffold could and should have been erected around the perimeter of the roof, says HSE, but Abdul chose to put cost cutting at the expense of safety to ensure the replacement roof to his property was completed.

Cost Cutting Over Safety

An investigation by HSE found that Abdul Rehman, from Manchester, chose to ignore the issue of an enforcement notice and continue to instruct operatives to work on the roof without any form of fall protection under the hours of darkness.

He pleaded guilty to breaching both work at height and health and safety regulations. He was given a custodial sentence of 12 months, suspended for 18 months. During that time he must also complete 180 hours of unpaid work.

He must also pay £6,450 in costs at a hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court on 18 June 2024.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Phil Redman said: “This was a serious breach of the law, and it is fortunate nobody was seriously injured or killed as a result of Mr Rehman choosing to ignore the repeated requests of the inspector to provide a safe means for work from height.

“The case highlights the importance of following industry guidance by ensuring a suitable and sufficient safe scaffold was provided by a competent contractor.”

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