“With the right equipment and a proper risk assessment this could have been prevented. As it was, there were so many instances and potential for falls throughout the day leading up to this event that it was lucky both men weren’t involved in serious injuries.”
Rafferty Chimneys Engineering appeared at Newcastle-under-Lyme Magistrates’ Court on 16 August and pleaded guilty to breaching s2(1) of the HSWA 1974. It was fined £8000 and ordered to pay £5000 towards costs.
The firm told the court that it had no previous convictions and has carried out a thorough review of its work-at-height practices following the incident. It has got rid of the tower scaffold and has sent 10 employees on a training course to learn how to safely erect and dismantle scaffolding. It has also created a crawling board that has running lines and edge protection, which will prevent workers from being able to step off the boards on to fragile surfaces.
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To inspect a chimney at a height of >30m, could this not be undertaken by remote control mast mounted camera? or hover camera etc, then MEWP etc, AFRAP applies.
It would appear that this SME could have benifitted from an unanounced inspection previously, 10 untrained employees may have been observed earlier, still never mind the PM and DPM think to much burden is placed on such companies. Way to go Dave & Nick ( could be a good comedy double act those two)