Firms fined over scaffold death

Two companies have been fined a total of £120,000 after a West Midlands man fell to his death from a tower scaffold.

Darren Handley, 36, from Dudley, was employed to carry out the re-cladding of a Northampton warehouse in 2004, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said.

Spanclad Ltd, based in Smethwick, West Midlands, was fined £80,000.

Its principal contractors, Derby-based Westminster Building Co Ltd, was fined £40,000 at Northampton Crown Court.

Erected incorrectly

Following the fines, the HSE urged employers to make sure they have safety measures in place to protect staff working at height.

HSE Inspector Richard Lockwood said on Friday that this was an "entirely preventable incident".

He said Mr Handley fell from a tower scaffold, which was not the right equipment for the work he was undertaking and was also erected incorrectly.

Mr Lockwood added: "The access to the scaffold was across fragile materials, which presented another significant danger to the worker."

Top rail missing

The HSE said Mr Handley was one of four workers employed by Spanclad to carry out the re-cladding of the warehouse on an industrial estate.

The refurbishment worker was on a tower scaffold on timber boards, which were placed on top of a fragile cement-sheeted canopy in the warehouse loading bay.

The scaffold's top rail was missing and the tower was placed at an angle, causing it to move.

Mr Handley fell about seven metres from the tower scaffold, through the canopy on to the yard below, suffering fatal injuries.

Spanclad Ltd was also ordered to pay £10,000 costs after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety legislation.

Westminster Building Co Ltd, was also told to pay the same amount in costs after admitting breaching similar laws.

The two companies were prosecuted by the HSE after an investigation of the incident.