A scaffolder has been prosecuted by the HSE after a worker was killed while carrying out roof repairs in West Yorkshire.

Wayne Morgan (trading as Barnsdale Scaffolding) of Barnsdale Estate, Cutsyke, Castleford, pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

He was sentenced to 200 hours unpaid work with £15,000 in costs.

Wakefield Magistrates Court heard how Walter Booth, 63, (trading as WB Roofing) was carrying out repair work to the roof of Micklegate Methodist Church in Pontefract on 10 January 2015.


However, after the incident, the HSE found the scaffolding edge protection provided by Mr Morgan failed to profile the roof edge, leaving a gap through which Mr Booth fell.

HSE Inspector Sarah Lee said: "This was an entirely preventable death. In this case the scaffolding edge protection was not sufficient to prevent a person falling from the roof. The scaffold installation should have been erected correctly, follow the profile of the roof and have no large gaps.

"The standards for scaffold are well known and have been in place for many years. It is vital that scaffolders ensure that scaffold is erected as per the standards and it is checked after it is erected, to ensure that everything is in place."

(LM/CD)