Two people trapped and seriously injured after shoddy scaffolding crashed down on top of them

Sheeting on the scaffold acted as a ‘sail’ as it crashed down onto two high street pedestrians

Two people were trapped and seriously injured after a shoddily built scaffolding tower collapsed on top of them in Putney High Street. The company and its sole director have been fined following the incident on July 19, 2023.

Employees working for Add Prop Limited assembled the mobile tower on the street under the supervision of the company’s sole director, Atif Riaz. Yet the scaffold tower had been assembled incorrectly and had been covered in sheeting after there were inadequate measures to separate it from members of the public.

The sheeting on the tower then acted as a sail in the windy conditions, causing it to topple and, in turn, strike and trap two members of the public, resulting in serious injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Add Prop Limited had failed to ensure that the structure was suitable for foreseeable loads, including those created by wind on the sheeting. This was not the first time that the company had been at fault with a scaffolding tower, as they had previously received a prohibition notice for unsafe work after a tower scaffold at another site.

It was found that the tower scaffold had neither been assembled nor inspected by trained personnel and was not erected in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions or industry guidance.

The HSE found that Atif Riaz had been negligent in his role as both a sole director and a project manager, and following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates Court, he was fined £1,730 and ordered to pay £1,730 in costs after being found guilty under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc 1974.

Add Prop Limited was found guilty of breaching Regulation 19(2)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and was subsequently fined £20,000 and ordered to pay £7,000 in costs by the same court.

HSE Inspector Daniel Burton said: “The public have a right to expect scaffolding they pass by is safe and has been properly installed – yet every year people are injured when scaffold towers overturn.

“In this case, two members of the public suffered serious injuries when a scaffold tower overturned on a busy high street. The risks associated with scaffold towers and wind loading are well known within the construction industry – this kind of incident simply should not happen.

“The fines imposed on Add Prop Limited and Atif Riaz should underline to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take failures to follow health and safety requirements extremely seriously.

“HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies and, where appropriate, directors who fail to do all that they should to keep workers and members of the public safe.”