Limited space is still available for North West roofing contractors at a free breakfast seminar between 8.00 and 10.00 a.m. at the Reebok Stadium, Bolton on Thursday 25 October.

Breakfast will be provided at the free event aimed at small roofing contractors who have had little or no interaction with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Anna Bliss, Principal Construction Inspector for Health and Safety in Greater Manchester says: "In the past three years 29 people have been killed working in construction in the North West, of which 1 in 7 was a roof worker - all of whom worked for themselves or for a small company. There have also been many major injuries. Aside from the terrible impact of such accidents on the families of those who die, the consequences for their employer can be devastating.

"After accidents involving roofers a director of a small roofing company was sentenced to 16 months for manslaughter in 2004; and this year a small roofing company was prosecuted for health and safety offences and fined £15,000.

"We are running this seminar to help roofers get the right safety precautions in place and prevent an accident. Unfortunately my inspectors will often meet a roofing contractor for the first time after an accident, when it is too late.

"Roofers are obviously working at heights from where a fall is likely to cause serious injuries. However, there are straightforward things that can be done to avoid that fall and this event aims to tell roofers about them.

"As well as the advice given at the seminar, a roofing company can book a meeting with one of our health and safety advisors who can meet them to give specific advice on what their company could be doing. We'd rather meet them like this than in court."

The event is an opportunity for contactors to gain an understanding of the role of HSE Inspectors and Health and Safety Awareness Officers (HSAOs) to improve their knowledge of what the Work at Height Regulations 2005 require and the standards a HSE Inspector would expect to see during roof work.

Limited places are still available and more information is available by contacting Nicola Willcox at HSE on 0161 952 8328.

Notes to Editors

The Work at Height Regulations 2005 require that people in control of work at height provide a safe place to work from or provide precautions to prevent or mitigate the consequences of a fall.

HSE has published full guidance on safe methods of work for roof work in HSG33 "Health and safety in roof work".

NW fatal accidents in Construction

There have been a total of 205 deaths in the construction industry nationwide over the last three years (69 in 2004-05, 59 in 2005-06 and 77 in 2006-07) with the North West total of 29 deaths made up of 9, 8 and 12 in successive years from 2004-05. Three of these involved roof workers in 2005-6 plus a fourth in 2006-07. Thus 1 in 7 (13.8%) of North West construction fatalities result from roof work over the last three years.

Issued on behalf of HSE by Government News Network North West.

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