Roofer prosecuted for refusing to co-operate with HSE: compliance lessons for site teams
Reviewed by Joe Ashwell
First reported on The Construction Index
30 Second Briefing
A Cornish roofer has been fined after repeatedly ignoring an HSE prohibition notice and requests for information issued under Section 20 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, following roof replacement work carried out without any scaffolding. Steven Hendry, trading as Apex Roofing & Property Services of Marthus Court, Liskeard, was verbally abusive to inspector Hatti Shipp, continued working without edge protection, and failed to attend court, leading to a warrant for his arrest. Plymouth Magistrates Court fined him £400, ordered £3,852 costs, and compelled him under Section 42 HSWA to supply the requested information by 1 March 2026.
Technical Brief
- Hendry’s behaviour met HSE’s definition of work-related violence through verbal abuse towards the inspector.
- HSE emphasised follow-up duties: verifying that unsafe contractors have implemented improved controls for future work.
- Court action included an HSE Section 42 application, legally enforcing provision of withheld Section 20 information.
- Case underlines that obstructing inspectors and ignoring statutory notices is prosecuted independently of any physical accident.
Our Take
Among the 78 safety‑tagged pieces in our coverage, formal prosecutions involving the Health & Safety Executive are relatively rare, signalling that HSE is prepared to escalate only when non‑co‑operation with section 20 powers is clear and persistent.
For small contractors like Apex Roofing & Property Services operating in regions such as Liskeard and wider Cornish areas, this case underlines that obstructing HSE investigations can trigger personal liability for directors or individuals, not just corporate sanctions.
The long compliance window to 1 March 2026 suggests HSE’s priority is ultimately securing information rather than punishment, which practitioners can read as an incentive to engage early and fully when served with statutory notices.
Prepared by collating external sources, AI-assisted tools, and Geomechanics.io’s proprietary mining database, then reviewed for technical accuracy & edited by our geotechnical team.
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