Glasgow Scaffold Overturns

In early April, scaffolding erected at a luxury flat development in Glasgow overturned during high winds.

The incident forced the closure of the road and the removal of cars within the exclusion zone. Luckily there were no reported injuries as a result of the incident. Plans were put into place to dismantle the scaffolding in the days following the incident, with Police Scotland and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were informed.

According to the developer, all safety protocols were followed after the collapse, but with the HSE notified of the incident, we expect there to be an investigation to identify the cause. This incident, however, serves as a reminder of the importance of scaffold design and adherence to the required anchoring protocols.

Speaking of the incident, Mike Dean, Scaffolding Safety Advisor at Simian, said: “It is invariably the case that incidents such as this are reported as being attributable to high wind. However, in our experience, that’s normally only partly correct. We have no specific knowledge of this incident, but it’s very often the case that high winds merely expose the inadequacies of scaffolding stability arrangements, as scaffolds that are designed and built to the appropriate standards will almost always withstand the very worst that British weather has got to offer.”

Sadly, incidents such as this are all-too-common and they are something that we here at SIMIAN aim to reduce through training, inspection and consultancy. Take a look at our Toolbox Talk on ‘Working in Windy Conditions’ to find out more about what can and should be done to ensure safety in poor weather conditions.