Roofer handed suspended sentence after man falls 25 feet from scaffold

A self-employed roofer has been given a suspended sentence after a man fell 25 feet from a scaffold in Devon.

On 13 June 2023, Iain Smith (36) was working for roofer Daniel Hooper (28) at a domestic property in Honiton, Devon. He had been transferring old roof slates to and from a scaffolding platform, using a ladder to manually carry the heavy loads. On one trip down the ladder, laden with tiles, Mr Smith fell 25 feet to the ground.

The impact broke five vertabrae, and fractured his skull and ribs. Devon Air Ambulance rushed Mr Smith to Derriford Hospital, where he was placed into an induced coma for five days. He still suffers from the effects of these injuries, but has recovered considerably.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, and found that Daniel Hooper (trading as Hooper Roofing) failed to plan or appropriately supervise the works at height. He also failed to supply suitable equipment to do the task safely, opting to have workers carry heavy tiles manually up and down ladders.

HSE guidance describes safer methods of transferring the slate tiles to and from a scaffolding platform, which eliminate the need for ladders to be used for this task. These methods include the use of a pulley system, or use of a mechanical conveyor.

Daniel Hooper, of Brook Road, Cullompton, Devon appeared at at Exeter Magistrates Court on 6 February 2025. He pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. This regulation requires employers to ensure works at height are planned, supervised and carried out in a safe way, so far as is reasonably practicable.

Mr Hooper was sentenced to 16 weeks imprisonment, suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work in the community.  He was also ordered to pay costs of £10,875.

HSE inspector Thomas Preston commented after the hearing:

“Falls from height account for around half of all deaths in the construction industry and Mr Smith is very fortunate to still be alive today.

“The risks of working at height and the control measures are well established, including the need to supervise the work appropriately.  Alternative methods of moving materials up and down from a scaffold platform are available and must be considered when planning roofing projects.”

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