North West Roofing Supplies Company Fined Following Scaffolding Incident
1st March 2021
A company and its director have pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and section 3(1) of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Regulations 2013 (RIDDOR), following a 2018 incident that saw two workers fall from a tower scaffold.
During the incident, employees were using a tower scaffold to install signage on a retail space, when the scaffold was moved away from the building leading to the two employees to fall approximately two metres, sustaining serious injuries to their legs and ankles.
Following an investigation by the HSE, it was found that the tower scaffold had been erected by an individual without the appropriate training, there were guard rails missing from the structure and there were no outriggers in place at the time of the incident. In addition to this, the company then failed to report the incident, as required by RIDDOR.
The company itself was fined £20,000 for the breach, whilst the director of the company was ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service, pay compensation to the injured workers and pay costs.
HSE Inspector, David Norton, said following the hearing at Manchester Magistrates’ Court:
“Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities and severe injuries in this country. The risks associated with working at height are well known.
This incident could so easily have been avoided by having a suitably trained person put up the tower scaffold and ensuring that the required guardrails and outriggers were in place.”
If you are looking for scaffolding training for yourself or your employees, speak to the SIMIAN team today. Our training centres are set to open from 8th March 2021, in line with Government COVID guidance.