Two construction firms have been fined for their roles in a scaffolding collapse which led to the death of a worker
The firms, McAleer & Rushe, based in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland and Les Smith Carpentry, based in Romsey in Hampshire both admitted to breaching health and safety regulations. The incident happened in 2006 at the site of a Jurys Inn hotel that was under construction at the time; 100ft high scaffolding collapsed suddenly whilst several people were working on it.
49 year old John Robinson, himself a Milton Keynes resident, was working near the top level of the scaffolding at the time of the collapse. Mr Robinson was killed in the fall and his son, who had also been working on the site at the time, was seriously injured along with another worker. It was only the fact that it was lunchtime and most workers were in the site canteen at the time of the collapse that prevented many more people being injured.
Serious safety issues
At the trial, brought by the Health and Safety Executive against the two companies, the court heard that there had been previous concerns about the management of scaffolding by the companies involved. The Judge, Nicholas Coleman, said that there had been suggestions that health and safety had been comprised in an effort to save money. Both companies apologised for the incident and have said that they have improved their health and safety procedures and their management of scaffolding on construction sites.
Accidents at work
The scaffolding collapse in Milton Keynes shows just what a devastating impact an accident at work can have both on those who are seriously injured, and on their families and the families of those who are killed. Most families not only suffer emotionally as a result of the loss of a loved one, but their financial circumstances may change considerably, resulting in unexpected hardship.
If you or a member of your family has been injured in an accident at work and you are not sure what course of action to take, Camps Solicitors can help. Our legal team will deal with any compensation claim sensitively and professionally, working to get you the best possible settlement for your accident at work claim.
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