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HSE fines builder over unsafe scaffolding
12/03/10
Edited by Andy Jowett. A construction firm has been fined £1,000 and ordered to pay £799 in costs after pleading guilty to putting its builders at risk of serious or potential fatal injuries through having unsafe scaffolding.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) brought the case against Shane Homes of Driffield in Yorkshire following a routine inspection of a residential property extension in Molescroft, Beverley, in September 2009.
Its investigation found that builders working on the first floor of the house were put at risk of falling up to four metres because their scaffolding had no edge protection and an access ladder was too short and unsecured.
HSE inspector said tackling the use of potentially dangerous scaffolding is important, as falls from height are the biggest single case of serious and fatal injuries in the construction sector.
"We hope today's prosecution serves as a reminder to companies using scaffolding that they need to ensure it is erected by trained and competent people and that it is safe to use," he commented.
According to the HSE, businesses where employees play an "active part" in spotting workplace risks and monitoring health and safety have lower accident rates, as well as higher productivity, efficiency and quality.
