SCAFFOLD POLE INJURES PASSER-BY

Contractor fined after scaffold pole hits pedestrian

Sky Scaffolding (Midlands) Ltd of Warwick has been ordered to pay in excess of £5k in fines and prosecution costs for failing to take suitable and sufficient steps to prevent any person being struck by any falling material or object liable to cause personal injury. The case follows an incident in May 2008 when a scaffold pole fell and injured a pedestrian on the pavement outside a public house in Coventry City Centre.

HSE Inspector Carol Southerd said: “The work being undertaken that morning, on the pavement, placed pedestrians and workers at risk because the company had failed to take more-robust steps to ensure that the system of work was effective to protect the public from simple human error such as dropped materials or tools during scaffolding erection. The injured lady was immobilised for several weeks and still suffers from anxiety but it could have been so much worse if the pole had struck her head or body.”

Comment: The reported facts suggest the scaffolding contractor involved made significant efforts to avoid this incident. However, regulators and the courts take an ‘absolute’ view where the public is concerned. If it is impossible to prevent poles falling then persons must be excluded from the areas of risk below.

This article was posted on 24th March 2009 in ALL LATEST NEWS, INCIDENTS, SCAFFOLDING.
PP Construction Safety H&S Assistance and Consultancy service.

Construction Health & Safety News, Advice and Information from PP Construction Safety

SCAFFOLD POLE INJURES PASSER-BY

Contractor fined after scaffold pole hits pedestrian

Latest Construction Health and Safety News

HSE CONSTRUCTION DUST CONTROL ‘BLITZ’ STARTS

Regulator inspections will check health taken as seriously as safety

FLOOR CONSTRUCTION SYSTEM OF WORK UNSAFE

Welder fell 3m from mezzanine area through purlin openings

WORKER SUFFERS FATAL BURNS IN OXYGEN RICH AREA

Sparks from angle grinder ignited clothing of workman in confined space

RIBA PUBLISH DRAFT POST GRENFELL FIRE SAFETY PLAN

Architects institute consults on ‘golden thread of fire safety information’

MAJOR UK CONTRACTORS HIT BY MAJOR FINES

Firms ordered to pay over £3m after foot trapped in rotating ‘screw’

HSE ENFORCEMENT WEEKLY UPDATE 19th SEPT 2018

Prosecutions and enforcement notices register latest version

DRIVER DIED TRAPPED BETWEEN TRAILER AND VEHICLE

Firm fined £1.5 million over failure to assess coupling operations

ACTUAL SYSTEM OF WORK WAS OPPOSITE OF RAMS

Workman fell 4m through fragile asbestos roof sheet

CDM PRINCIPAL DESIGNER FUNCTION MISUNDERSTOOD?

Consultants claim CDM 2015 design risk management has ‘gone backwards’

RISK ASSESSED PRECAUTIONS NOT IMPLEMENTED

Action not paperwork essential to prevent fall during lifting operation

CROSSRAIL PUBLISH BEST PRACTICE H&S GUIDES

Sharing major project best practice can leave a lasting legacy

SCHOOL STAFF LACKED ASBESTOS AWARENESS TRAINING

Council fined £200k over asbestos flue and gasket rope failures

INCIDENT: MEWP OVERTURN IN CITY CENTRE

Images show aftermath of mobile elevating platform collapse

SAFETY ALERT: DEFECTIVE SCAFFOLD COUPLER

National Access and Scaffolding Confederation issues warning

DEMOLISHING INTERNAL WALL REVEALED ASBESTOS

Firm lacked survey and asbestos management plan for premises

NEW HEALTH AND SAFETY TEST FOR ARCHITECTS

RIBA raise the bar for members on design risk management and ‘life safety’

POWER BUSINESSES FAILED ON LIFTING OPERATION

Panel fell on workman during turbine maintenance project

MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE FIRM COMMITS TO ZERO HARM

Behaviours to deliver zero lost time injury incident rate by 2021

MANAGING TOWER CRANE FALLING OBJECT RISK

CPA issues new technical information note

POST EXPLOSION ASBESTOS WORK WAS UNSAFE

Asbestos cement panels removed and cut with power tools

FALL THROUGH UNFLOORED FACTORY ROOF SPACE

Non-routine tasks require assessment and clear risk controls

SEVENTH LONDON CYCLIST DEATH DURING 2018

Building products vehicle involved in death of Queens doctor

MAJOR CONTRACTOR FAILED TO SUPERVISE LIFT

Errors whilst lifting pre-cast concrete blocks fined £600,000

FIRM FINED £400,000 OVER VIBRATING TOOLS RISK

Hand-held orbital sanders, rivet guns, grinders and drills caused harm

OVERHEAD POWER AND EARTHING OF SCAFFOLDS

NASC combines updates advice on scaffold electrical risks

One Response to “SCAFFOLD POLE INJURES PASSER-BY”

News Archives