Glasgow Firm Fined £40,000

The case was heard this week in Hamilton Sheriff Court, with details of the poor state of repair of the scaffold deck walked upon by the roofer, Mr James Baillie. Mr Baillie was working on the hired scaffold deck carrying out repairs to a domestic roof on a two-storey property in Thorntonhall, South Lanarkshire when he fell through the deck, which, when examined, showed brown rot decay. Mr Baillie died as a result of his injuries the following day, on 23rd September 2011.

Extra Access, the suppliers of the defective scaffolding admitted a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was given a fine of £40,000 by the court.

HSE Inspector Mr Graeme McMinn spoke after the hearing and said, “There is no excuse for allowing the use at work of mobile access tower components that were in such a poor condition – the scaffolding industry is well aware of the risks involved in this type of work.”

Our thoughts are with the roofer’s family, and we urge roofers to ensure that the equipment they hire for safety purposes is fit and suitable for use. Always use a reputable scaffolding firm that holds up-to-date certification.

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