Inadequate scaffolding leads to accident injury prosecution in Louth

A joiner has been left with a broken leg after sustaining an accident injury at work.

Mario Mazzarella fell more than four meters from scaffolding erected over the road, after a bus crashed into him in Louth.

Andrew Mark Judge, manufacturer of the scaffolding, has been fined for failing to ensure that the workers who erected the scaffolding the day before had worked in a manner in line with health and safety regulations.

Health and Safety Executive inspector Martin Giles stated: "The scaffolding should have been erected in a safe manner, and the finished scaffold should not have jutted out over the road at a height where it be a danger to passing traffic."

Mr Giles claimed that the failure of Mr Judge to adequately plan, supervise and apply safety measures to the construction of the scaffolding led to the accident.

Scaffolding can be highly dangerous if constructed badly or used incorrectly.

Approximately 50 people die each year in the UK because of poor scaffolding construction.

Mr Judge pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005, and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. He was fined £15,000 and ordered to pay £3,739 costs.

Published by Jessica Shervin