Roofing Work News Roundup – March 2018
Here at D-marc we’re in the business of making work at height, namely roofing work, safer with our innovative rooftop barrier solutions. As such, we keep a close eye on the news for stories about roof work and working at height in general so that we can provide our readers with useful and relevant information that will keep them up to date with what’s going on in our industry. Once a month, we’ll publish a roundup of the news that affects our sector in one easy place so that readers can get a quick overview of the most important happenings over the past month. If you have anything to add or know of any stories that you’d like us to cover, please don’t hesitate to let us know, either by email, on our Facebook Page or on our Twitter feed.
Our first story involves some illegal fly tipping in the South Downs National Park. Portsmouth Magistrates’ Court fined a man nearly £6,000 after he was found guilty of dumping a massive 1,400 kg of asbestos cement roofing in a car park at the site of special scientific interest (SSSI). The waste was from a property being developed by the accused who pleaded guilty to two offences of failing it had been transferred to an authorised person for disposal and failing to provide a written description of the waste. This story is particularly pertinent to us as we are currently offering our readers advice on the dangers of asbestos and stressing the importance of disposing of it in a safe and legal manner.
In East London, a woman lost her life in a horrific incident which demonstrates clearly how important it is to ensure that tools and materials are secured when working at height. The lady was struck by debris that fell from a building site crane and was treated at the scene by passers-by before being rushed to hospital where she passed away. A second person was also taken to hospital after this incident.
Police in Cleveland are warning the public after five linked incidents in which money was taken from elderly residents for roofing jobs Residents are being warned to remain vigilant and to contact the police if they see the male suspects involved in the scam. This is bad news for all of us in the roofing industry as this type of criminal behaviour has an adverse effect on the way in which our sector is perceived by the public.
The National Federation of Roof Contractors (NFRC) is on the lookout for the unsung local heroes of the roofing business in the Black Country after announcing a new annual award for this year’s UK Roofing Awards. They want to celebrate all the good things that contractors do in their local communities and for charities. The awards are designed to showcase projects that demonstrate the best in roofing, including elements like problem-solving, aesthetics, health and safety, workmanship and environmental standards. This is a great chance for roofing companies in the UK to raise their profiles in a way that will definitely benefit the business in future.