Companies fined after Dudley man plunges to his death (From Dudley News)

Companies fined after Dudley man plunges to his death

9:30am Tuesday 19th August 2008 in News

TWO firms have been fined £120,000 after a Dudley man fell to his death from a tower scaffold.

Darren Handley, aged 36, died in October 2004 when he fell seven metres off the scaffold while working in a Northampton warehouse.

Spanclad Ltd based in Smethwick was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs after pleading guilty to breaching Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 at Northampton Crown Court.

Derby based Westminster Building Co Ltd, which was the principal contractor for Spanclad was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs after pleading guilty to a breach of the same act.

The two companies were prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive, (HSE)which found the scaffolding was not the right equipment for the work being undertaken.

Mr Handley, a refurbishment worker, was one of four employed to re-clad the warehouse. At the time of the incident Darren was working on a tower scaffold positioned on timber boards, which were placed on top of a fragile cement sheeted canopy in the loading bay.

Health and Safety investigators found the top rail of the scaffold was missing and the tower was placed at an angle on a weak support base, which caused it to move. Mr Handley fell off the scaffold and through the canopy onto the yard below.

HSE Inspector Richard Lockwood said: “This was an entirely preventable incident which led to the death of a local man.

“Darren was killed when he fell from a tower scaffold, which was not the right equipment for the work he was undertaking and was also put up incorrectly.

“The access to the scaffold was across fragile materials, which presented another significant danger to the worker.

“The tragedy could easily have been avoided if the two companies had properly planned the work to ensure adequate safety measures were in place for people working at height.”