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Tue March 19 2024

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Dropped clip costs scaffolding firm £160k

19 Feb 18 A scaffolding company has been fined £160,000 for safety breaches after a scaffold clip fell 20 metres and hit a member of the public walking below.

A scaffold clip
A scaffold clip

Westminster Magistrates Court heard how on 20th March 2017 a man walking along Upper Street in Islington, London, was hit on the head by the scaffold clip. He sustained numerous cuts to his head and face, a broken nose and a severely bruised skull. The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted.

Alandale Plant & Scaffolding Ltd of Beckenham, Kent pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,059.08 and a victim surcharge of £170.

HSE inspector Sarah Robinson said after the hearing: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. On this occasion the company did not follow their own risk assessments or method statements.”

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MPU
MPU

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