Firm ‘unfamiliar’ with current scaffolding safety systems fined £26k

A worker who fell from scaffolding suffered life changing injuries, including the loss of sight in one eye.

Bristol Magistrates’ Court heard how an employee of construction firm R J Scaffolding (Bristol) Limited was in an induced coma for two weeks after falling more than six metres from the scaffolding.

The worker suffered several serious injuries, including losing the sight in his right eye and five fractures to the skull.

The HSE’s investigation into the incident, which occurred on 2 June 2016, found:

• the employee was untrained
• the supervisor was unfamiliar with the current expected safety techniques
• the appropriate equipment had not been provided to the worker to conduct this work safely.

R J Scaffolding (Brisol) Limited of Central Business Park, Hengrove, Bristol pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £26,000.00 and ordered to pay costs of £1657.76.

Speaking after the hearing, Health & Safety Executive inspector, Ian Whittles 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 scaffold had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

Approaches to managing the risks associated Musculoskeletal disorders

In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.

Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.

Listen now!