04.11.2006

Developer and Scaffold company fined £132,000

Scaffold company, Deborah Services of Wakefield, has been fined £110,000, while the developer it was working for, Beechwood Development company (Scotland) of Clarkston, Glasgow received a fine of £22,000 following a scaffold tower collapse on a project in Edinburgh in May 2005.

Both companies pleaded guilty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, to breeches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

Beechwood was acting as Principal Contractor for a development of new apartments at Hawkhill Avenue, while Deborah was contracted to provide scaffolding services for the project.

At about 10am on May 24, 2005, two sections of a loading bay tower approximately 16 metres in height collapsed as a one tonne pallet of building blocks was loaded onto it.

A subcontractor, Paul Laidlaw, who was working on the scaffold 12 metres from the ground, fell around five metres into the components of the collapsing tower and was struck by falling debris.

He suffered severe head lacerations, a broken wrist and a broken rib.

The HSE investigation revealed that the structure had been severely overloaded and that a number of factors contributed to the final collapse. The primary factors were

* Failure to appreciate that such a structure would require to be designed

* Failure to provide information on the safe loading for this structure; and

* Failure to control the loading of material onto the structure
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states that employers have a duty to carry out work so as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that people not employed by them are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.

HSE Principal Construction inspector Jim Skilling said
"This was an extremely serious accident which could have lead to a loss of life. The scaffolding tower was not designed and then overloaded, and this led to its collapse. This accident was entirely preventable and the fines imposed today reflect the seriousness of this case."

Following a series of scaffolding collapses in recent years, HSE Inspectors have carried out a considerable number of site visits to discuss scaffolding issues. The HSE has also written to every scaffolding contractor in Scotland, reminding them of their responsibilities - to provide a suitable stable working platform that has been erected by competent personnel.

Skilling added: "It is important for contactors to have systems in place to ensure scaffolding is fit for purpose. Workers and members of the public have the right to be protected."
Legal costs are also likely to be awarded against the two companies.