Unsafe Scaffolding Structure
A scaffolding contractor in Liverpool has been fined £30,000 for its failure to assemble safe scaffolding.
What happened?
The HSE identified serious issues with the construction of a tower scaffold.
The assembly instructions had not been followed while the scaffold tower was being erected.
No ladder was installed to access the scaffold; instead, workers climbed the rungs of the scaffold itself to access the working platform.
A worker, Robert Duffy, fell from the scaffold, sustaining serious fatal head injuries, and died three days later.
What was the result?
The HSE investigated the fatality, and discovered the failings. Although the HSE decided to prosecute, it was based on the breaches rather than Mr Duffy's death.
The company admitted to contravening section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.
They were fined £30,800 and ordered to pay £5,040 in prosecution costs.
Lessons Learned
Work at Height remains the most common kind of workplace fatalities in the UK.
Please ensure that if you are responsible for tower scaffolds, that they are suitable for the work/task. They also need to be erected and dismantled by people who have been trained and are competent to do so.
Tower scaffold provision and use must be properly managed and include rigorous scaffold inspection arrangements.
Further guidance on tower scaffolding can be found below:
Further information on this case can be found here
