Builder Receives Suspended Jail Term Following Fatal Fall

A suspended jail term has been handed to a builder following a 2018 incident that saw a construction worker fatally injured following a fall from a scaffold platform.

Peterborough Crown Court heard that in December 2018, a construction worker was carrying out work on a platform around 1.4 metres high when he fell, suffering injuries to the back of his head. Although taken to hospital, the worker sadly died two days later. The Court went on to hear that the platform had been constructed using scaffolding boards, which spanned a gap between two scaffold tower sections, each of which was resting on the ground.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) it was determined that the scaffold platform from which the worker fell was missing guard-rails; this left no preventative measures to prevent workers from falling. Furthermore, it was also found that the platform had a significant quantity of construction materials being stored on it, which presented a serious trip risk.

The builder in charge of the work, who both owned and set up the scaffold platform, had failed to ensure the work at height had been properly planned, supervised or carried out in a safe manner. He pleaded guilty to contravening Regulations 4(1) and 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was sentenced to 9 months imprisonment, subsequently suspended for 2 years. In addition he was ordered to pay £9,089 in costs.

Scaffold inspection is a statutory requirement and the CISRS Scaffold Inspection Training Scheme includes training courses that are intended to give non-Scaffolders the basic skill set to carry out inspections and to ensure their working platforms are safe. Check out all of our CISRS training offerings here, or alternatively, call 0345 6022 418 to arrange an independent scaffold  inspection.