HSE investigation prompted by death on Liverpool site
A contractor has been fined after workers scrambled up the rungs of an unsafe scaffold to work at a block of flats in Merseyside.
A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd has been fined £30,000 for its failure to assemble safe scaffolding following an investigation by the HSE.
In May 2021, the workplace regulator identified serious issues with the construction of the scaffold and the assembly instructions had not been followed while the scaffold tower was being built on Rice Hey Road. No ladder was used access the scaffold. Instead, workers climbed the rungs of the scaffold itself as opposed to a proprietary ladder.
The HSE investigation was prompted after the regulator was notified of the death of A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd employee Robert Duffy.
The 45-year-old passed away in hospital on 23 May 2021, three days after sustaining serious injuries while working at the site.
The prosecution of A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd, of Kirkby, was not brought on the grounds that the incident was causative of Duffy’s death.
The firm pleaded guilty to safety breaches and was fined £30,800 and ordered to pay £5,040.75 in costs at Wirral Magistrates’ Court.
HSE inspector Sam Eves said: “A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd did not ensure the tower scaffold was constructed correctly. The company failed to provide a safe way to get to and from the work platform, for example using an appropriately designed internal ladder.
“Companies should follow HSE guidance to ensure they effectively plan, manage and monitor similar construction work and reduce the risks to their employees.”
About The Author
