10.02.2005

Scaffold collapse costs company £134,000 +

J & P King Ltd, trading as Kings scaffolding and David Charles, trading as Thompson Underpinning and building contractors ltd both from the Merseyside area, received heavy fines today at Liverpool crown court.

Kings Scaffolding was fined £75,000 with £59,000 costs for failing to ensure persons not in their employment were not exposed to risks to their health and safety. David Charles/Thompson was fined £6,000 having pleaded guilty to failing to ensure a safe place of work for employees. No costs were awarded in its case.

On 26 October 2002, John Ollerhead, Leonard Davies and John McCabe, employees of Thompson, were involved on a job to repair the gable wall of a shop in Liverpool, they were working from a steel “tube and coupler” scaffold that had been erected by Kings Scaffolding, in order to provide access to the work. A section of the scaffold suddenly collapsed into a busy roadway and as a result of the incident Mr Ollerhead suffered serious permanent brain damage and Mr Davies is unable to walk without assistance. Mr McCabe suffered hand injuries and a fractured cheek bone.

HSE Construction Inspector Neil Jamieson, who investigated the case, said: “Whilst welcoming the verdict handed down by the court, the fact remains that three men were seriously injured in an incident that could easily have been avoided, had appropriate and straight forward measures been in place”.

“The incident came about through an almost complete communication failure between both parties, particularly with respect to the nature of the works and its extent. This led to employees of Kings Scaffolding providing scaffolding that was unsuitable for the weight of brickwork to be put on it. To compound matters further, anchorage ties were installed in brickwork that was to be removed. The investigation also revealed that the scaffold was fitted with only four ties when the recommended number is seven, none of which had been pull out tested.”

HM Principal Construction Inspector Wayne Crumpton, added:
”This incident highlights the importance of good communication between scaffolding contractors and their clients. Responsible scaffolders need to talk to their clients and make sure they know what the work is about, so that they can provide the right structure for the job. Just as important is the hand over of the scaffold, so that clients are clear when it is safe to use and what they are allowed to do from and to it.”