Scaffolding company fined £26K after fall

A Bristol-based scaffolding company has been fined £26,000, after a serious accident involving an untrained employee.

The worker was just 21 years old at the time of the accident, he fell from a height of 6 metres and sustained serious injuries including five fractures to his skull and loss of sight in his right eye. He was in an induced coma for two weeks and spent time in hospital on a ventilator because of damage to his lungs caused by the accident.

The incident occurred in June 2016 and following an investigation by HSE, the scaffolding company involved pleaded guilty at Bristol Magistrate’s court to breaching Regulation 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

The investigation by HSE found that not only was the worker untrained, but he also hadn’t been provided with the appropriate equipment which would have helped him to perform his work safely. His supervisor was also found to be unfamiliar with standard safety techniques.

In a statement following the case the HSE inspector said, “We want all workers to go home healthy and safe. Those in control of work have a responsibility to ensure safe methods of working are used and to inform, instruct and train their workers in their use.

“If industry recognised safe systems of erecting scaffolding had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

This awful accident highlights the importance of adequate training for scaffolders and supervisors, as well as the crucial role that having access to and using the right equipment plays.

Simian clients requiring advice on all aspects of scaffolding safety, including competence requirements, are free to call their Account Manager on 0345 602 2418.