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Former British Boxing Champion fined for unsafe working at height

12th June 2015

A former boxing champion who is now working as a self-employed Scaffolder has been fined £18,000 for unsafe work at height.

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The former boxer, who was managed by Barry Hearn during his boxing career, is an experienced Scaffolder. Following a complaint from a member of the public, HSE visited the site where he had been contracted to provide a four lift scaffold and temporary roof for on-going refurbishment work to a property. They found that no guardrails, harnesses or any other fall mitigation equipment was in place to protect workers on the roof from the risk of falling and there was a potential risk to members of the public due to items being removed from the roof in an unsafe manner.

Following the case in May, HSE Inspector Adam Wycherley took the opportunity to stress the importance of appropriate safety equipment. He said, “Falls from height remain the most common form of workplace fatality – there is no excuse for not planning work at height properly or ensuring the appropriate safety equipment is used, the Scaffolding industry are well aware of the risks involved and the methods which should be put in place to manage these risks”

The fine of £18,000 for this offence was higher than those typically imposed for offences of this nature and perhaps suggests that the enforcing authorities are taking a hard line against those taking potentially life-threating risks. We understand the Scaffolder plans to appeal the severity of the fine.