A scaffolding company which is based in Kirkby in Ashfield has been prosecuted by the Health and Safety executive.  They were found to be responsible for a collapse of the scaffolding in Nottingham which injured a local roofer.   The roofing contractor had to take four months off work while he recovered from his injuries.

The contractor aged 48 fell off the scaffolding landing six metres below. In the fall he suffered painful injuries as his pelvis was fractured in four different places. The scaffold which collapsed was put in place for David Knowles in 2009. The accident caused an investigation from the Health and Safety Executive to see why it occurred and if it could be avoided.

The Health and Safety Executive discovered that the scaffolding was not erected correctly.  A non-competent person had failed to build the scaffold according to the standard configuration and there were places where it had been incorrectly tied.   Mr Knowles therefore was prosecuted by the HSE as he had not made sure that health and safety had been maintained to protect the people who were not employed by home.

Use Services to Make Sure You are Up to Scratch

Health and Safety services are able to help avoid situations like these.  It is important to know your legal position when it comes to safeguarding the health and safety on site or in the workplace.  Scaffolding is extremely dangerous and it is essential that the right policies are in place and that the correct procedures are followed at all times.

Health and Safety Consultants are able to assist construction workers with training and with planning when it comes to carrying out any job on site. As a result of poor management David Knowles ended up pleading guilty to the charges brought against him.  For breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act, section 3(1) he was fined £5000 and also a further £3944 in charges by the Nottingham Magistrates Court.

Scaffolding Work – A Preventable Accident

Mr Knowles could have prevented the accident by making sure that a competent person had erected the scaffolding. Health and Safety services which are designed to assist the construction industry can be lifesaving and also help to protect you should an accident occur. It is vital that you ensure all your workers are trained for the work that they are responsible for.

To contact the health and safety consultants all you need to do is call 0800 1488 677 for more information. There is a wide range of services for this extremely dangerous industry. You can ask for a complete health and safety audit to discover any areas of weakness and learn ways to change in order to make sure you are operating legally and safely.   The experts at Veritas Consulting are able to help by offering:

• Health and Safety Training courses
• Health and Safety Audit
• Competent Person Service
• Document Writing
• CSCS Card Test
• Construction Phase Plan
• CHAS Registration
• Health and Safety File, and more.

Talk to your personal health and safety advisor to see how you can benefit from these health and safety services.