£100K FINE AFTER APPRENTICE FALLS FROM SCAFFOLD
A scaffolding company has been sentenced for safety breaches after a 16-year-old apprentice joiner fell approximately four metres from a scaffold platform.
Sheffield Magistrates’ Court was told how, on 6 September 2016, the apprentice was passing roof tiles from the loading bay to a colleague on the scaffold when he caught his foot in a gap between the scaffold platform and the loading bay. The apprentice fell backwards under a single guard rail to the ground below, sustaining injuries including a fractured cheekbone, broken wrist and injuries to his ribs. He also required 13 stitches for a deep cut above his left eye.
The HSE’s investigation found that the loading bay edge protection did not include an intermediate guard-rail or toe board.
Bland Scaffolding Ltd of Old Ship House, Wath Road, Elsecar pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £918 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Trisha Elvy commented:
“This case highlights the importance of following well known industry guidance to design and erect scaffolding in a safe manner, a fall from this height could have easily been fatal.”
Fall Protection
You cannot put a price on somebody's safety. Fall prevention is essential when working at height, and Total Access (UK) Limited can help make this a much safer task. The Total Access (UK) Limited Fall Protection Department offers a nationwide service specialising in the design and installation of high level access solutions to facilitate the safe and efficient working environment of roof maintenance, on scaffolding, abseil cleaning and other high level tasks.
Our fall protection department include courses such as Working Safely at Height, Fall Protection Equipment Training and Harness & Lanyard Training.