08.01.2009

HSE to prosecute MK Scaffold collapse

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has announced its decision to prosecute three companies and one individual for alleged breaches of health and safety law following its investigation into the fatal scaffolding collapse in Milton Keynes in 2006.

The accident occurred on Tuesday 11 April on the Jurys Hotel site managed by main contractor McAleer & Rushe. The collapse started on the West Elevation (facing Witan Gate), with a partial collapse of the North Elevation (facing Midsummer Boulevard).

John Robinson,49, died as a result of injuries he sustained in the collapse, while Mark Robinson and Ivan Peukov, suffered multiple injuries.

McAleer & Rushe of Cookstown, Northern Ireland faces a total of six charges in respect of alleged breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and regulation 16 (1)(a) Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 1994. The company is being prosecuted both as an employer and as the principal contractor for the construction project at the site.

Lee Smith Carpentry of Abby Park Industrial Estate, Romsey, Hampshire faces a total of five charges fro breaches of the same regulations as the employer of John and Mark Robinson.

The scaffold contractor NNM Scaffolding of Castle Street, Leicester faces a total of five charges while John David King, of Alicante, Spain faces a total of four charges as a director of NNM Scaffolding.

All parties have been summonsed to appear before Milton Keynes Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 13 February 2009.

See MK Scaffold collapse
Click here to see HSE warns following MK collapse

Vertikal Comment

One has to wonder why it should take over two and a half years to even decide to prosecute this case. Surely the HSE knew who was at fault and why within four weeks of the accident. So why wait all this time to announce a prosecution?

Delays like this are a disgrace – perhaps there were some important lessons to be learnt from this accident that will not be revealed for legal reasons until after the trial almost three years later.