High Wycombe Magistrates Court heard how the collapse onto Maidenhead High Street on 30th April 2018 could have resulted in serious injury or loss of life.
An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive found that the underlying cause of the scaffold collapse was a lack of training and adequate instruction.
The worker carrying out the dismantling of the scaffold and removal of the scaffold ties was not adequately trained. Subsequent high winds acting upon the monoflex sheeting on the day of the collapse then caused scaffold to act as a giant sail and pull the structure onto the street.
Formula Scaffolding (London) Limited of Church Lane, Chessington was found guilty in its absence to breaching section 3(1) of Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and have been fined £160 000.00 and ordered to pay costs of £11 533.36
Formula Scaffolding (London) Limited has been dissolved. Its owner, Robin Jonathan Charlton, set up Formula Scaffolding & Rigging at the same address last year, but that too is set to be struck off before the end of December, Companies House filings show
[N.B. Formula Scaffolding Ltd in Southampton is a totally different company and unconnected.]
After the court hearing, HSE Inspector John Caboche said: “This was a very serious incident and it is fortunate nobody was injured as a result of it. Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working, ensure that their workforce is adequately trained and provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working.”
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