The next step

The Royal Meteorological Society's summary of the Beaufort scale

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Director blown from roof

Dangerous decision

As Storm Doris ripped through the UK in February 2017, Advance Roofing Ltd (A) was carrying out work on a new three-storey building in Hillingdon. Due to the intensity of the wind, which reached speeds of up to 94mph, many activities on the building site had been suspended.

However, the roofing work continued until the early afternoon when director John Whitham (W) was blown off the roof by a strong gust of wind, along with freestanding A-frame barriers and stacks of insulation. W fell eleven metres and suffered serious injuries to his pelvis, leg and back.

What went wrong?

W was a director of JKW Roofing (J) which had been subcontracted to undertake the work on the main building by A. The principal contractor on site was Bowmer and Kirkland Ltd (B). The HSE found that the companies had taken an informal approach to the assessment of weather conditions, which was not in line with industry standards.

Each company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(3) Work at Height Regulations 2005 (WAHR) . This states: “Every employer shall ensure that work at height is carried out only when the weather conditions do not jeopardise the health or safety of persons involved in the work.”

B received the largest fine of £350,000 with £6,190 in costs. A was fined £29,300 with costs of £6,187. J received a twelve-month conditional discharge and costs of £6,159.

Managing the risk

The WAHR require that all work at height is planned and supervised to minimise the risks to staff. Regulation 4(3) specifies that weather conditions are taken into account.

Tip 1. Keep an anemometer on site so that wind speed can be measured. It’s an easy piece of equipment to use - just follow the accompanying instructions.

Tip 2. HSE guidance states that roof work should be avoided during poor weather conditions. This includes strong winds in excess of 23mph, or Force 5 on the Beaufort scale.

Note. The Beaufort scale identifies windspeed without using instrumentation. Force 5 is a “fresh breeze” and is the level at which “small trees in leaf begin to sway and crested wavelets form on inland waters” (see The next step ).

Tip 3. When deciding whether to continue or suspend work on a site, consider not only the wind speed but also the height and position of the workplace, the nature of materials being handled, and the control measures already in place to prevent falls. Bear in mind that large sheet materials can be difficult to control even in light winds.

Tip 4. If you’re unsure whether it’s safe to continue working in poor conditions, assume that it isn’t.

For a link to the Royal Meteorological Society’s summary of the Beaufort scale, visit http://tipsandadvice-healthandsafety.co.uk/download (HS 18.02.04).