Dodgy-scaffold firm fined £1,000
12/03/2010
A firm which endangered its workers by not ensuring scaffold on a building site was safe has been fined by a magistrates' court.
Shane Homes Limited was told by magistrates in Beverley it must pay a fine of £1,000 and prosecution costs of £799 after it admitted breaking the law governing heights at work.
In a routine inspection in September 2009 at a site in Longcroft Park, Molescroft, Beverley, safety inspectors found scaffold that risked serious, if not fatal, injuries for staff.
The inspectors said the scaffold had a dangerous four-metre drop, had no edge protection installed and that the ladder being used to get off and on the scaffold was too short and not secure enough.
After the hearing the Health and Safety Executive's Geoff Clark said: "The law is quite clear and there is much guidance provided by the HSE and industry bodies on the required standards for working at height.
"We hope today's prosecution serves as a reminder to companies using scaffolding that they need to ensure it is erected by trained and competent people, and that it is safe to use."
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