A scaffolding firm boss has been prosecuted after he and his employees were caught on film balancing on a single tube some nine metres above ground.
The photos of the incident at a three-storey office in Horley on 4 February 2014, taken by a shocked member of the public, were sent to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which investigated. Redhill Magistrates (4 Nov) heard how Jason Hewett, 44, the owner of Surrey- based Crest Scaffolding Services, had put his own life and the lives of two scaffolders in jeopardy by failing to have any fall prevention measures in place.
HSE, which brought the prosecution against Mr Hewett for safety breaches, told the court that one photo clearly depicts two workers balancing on a single pole with no guardrails to prevent them from falling from a dangerous height. Neither of them wore a harness.
A second photo shows two scaffolders working from boards but, once again, there was not one guardrail to be seen and no harnesses were in use to protect the men.
Jason Hewett, of Benhams Drive, Horley, Surrey, was fined £265 and ordered to pay £511 in costs after admitting a breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Amanda Huff said:
“Jason Hewett put his own life at risk and the lives of two other workers by carrying out this scaffolding job in a totally unsafe manner. Anyone falling from nine metres would likely be killed and that type of disregard for safety is totally unacceptable.
“Mr Hewett failed to follow basic safety precautions and heed the professional guidance available to scaffolding companies. Where practical when erecting scaffolding, they should work from a fully-boarded scaffold and guardrail. If this is not possible, all scaffolders should wear clipped-on harnesses.”
The health and safety forms we sign are just to stop us claiming against injury..the policy is to just get job done.most sites get three forms signed without giving you time to read..I recently signed for a site save video but site agent didnt want to bore me with the forty minute film….
D&B RAM signed on manor hse site two minutes later supervisor had me climb out window jump over parapit climb down lift .no ladders grabbed a handrail came of in my hand reported it as a near miss got sacked two minutes later lol
Wayne Thomas
Graham, Lentle and Omar is this you three?
I,d like to see how you are expected to slide down a .6mtr, hanger, 60meters above the ground bend over double lot fix your ledgers in 50yrs I only heard of one death and that was caused by others,
The only thing wrong with that is they got caught
we all done it but you cant do that know more.you get seen you get done
It’s all about confidence too much bullsht these days
And?
Droppers are more dangers than this health and safety gone mad
What a joke.
We can’t even pass clips nowdays.
Greenies coming into the game struggling to pick up a 6.3 tube and trying to ban it for being too heavy.
Bad enough watching them struggling to pick up a 4.0m aluminium ladder beam and to top things up they ask you for a hand.
Like wtf man should try picking up a 6.0 steel ladder beam.
£776 Like thats going to stop him.
Like it that was me
Geezer in the middle is a midget lool
Simon Watermonitor Hill
This u Jake Smith
There are no standards when scaffin
Steve Fitzpatrick what did I tell you about that standard???? Listen next time
Edited wouldn’t .
It’s a puffs game now, all big softies, the game is shite now.
Bet hes not even a scaff probly a systems wanker with a hammer on his belt!
Behave Jack Erai u sound like an instructor at collij, if u would rather put a 3rd handrail in then use steps to run this in its up 2 u. By the time uv done that iv done the job am on way home inda lorry wiv a fee beers. Enjoy ur 6pm finish SG guideline wanker
Has he not tied off with he’s laces around the handrail??
That’s no 9 metre up ha
Jobs worths it’s hard enuf to earn a days wage with out some peeping Tom in the bushes taking photos
Very true, boils my piss
Crack on boys nothing rong with that
We’ve all done far worse.
Bit to high for you jeff lad lol
Naughty boys lol
Isn’t that normal, hang on let me take another look.. No it’s not normal they got hi vis jackets on, what more do they want …
If all scaffolders took a stand and refused to work or abide by rules laid out by non scaffolders about their own safety. I’ve never met a scaffolder yet that intends to have a fall or to teach an up and coming lad an unsafe work practise
3 points are touching… What’s the problem?
Wit they scaffolding the high flats
Kevin Deighan William Byrne Thomas Dalrymple
We do it, live with it, end of. HSE f##k off!
Na am round the the other end puttin a 21ft on myself ha. No harness, scaff step, n hardhat RESPECT……. HSE have a constant hardone for scaffolders m8
Gary Greening food for thought…..
Paul Campbell wiz this u ha ha
Nothing wrong with that!!
Keep doing what your doing lads,nothing wrong with that some good old fashioned house bashing
Main reason i got out of the game ?
You need a ticket to take a piss now !!
Sean Kirk like the good old days?!
Where is the dislike button
Safe as houses
I thought this was the company photo? :p
Lol
I still do lol ,
At least he wasn’t putting up a leaner lol like the good old days
That’s the way we all used to
Roll.!!!
barry
Fined £265 and £511 costs hardly a deterrent lol
Topper to the left of the beam is quality hahaha
Topper to the left of the beam is quality hahaha
#cowboys
#cowboys
Mark Pitts
Mark Pitts
Been there done that
Been there done that
At least he holding on
At least he holding on
Hope they don’t catch me (wankers taking photos ) ,!
Hope they don’t catch me (wankers taking photos ) ,!
Always someone watching
Always someone watching
F**king public got nothing else Better to do than stick there fu**ing nose in sh*t where it’s not wanted.
I was doing this today ffs
F**king public got nothing else Better to do than stick there fu**ing nose in sh*t where it’s not wanted.
I was doing this today ffs
Micky Finn
See nothing wrong with this picture !! Except the 5 bays without a sway brace
The way i see it is, if you pressure people with less moeny on jobs, this is the outcome.. I’ve been in the trade for 8 years now and constantly they tell you all these methods to make things safer but when the balance sheet comes back and produtivity isn’t where it should be you really have no choice. Thsi is a high risk job and the money should reflwct how much time it takes to do things safe.
Not sure this was the case here but in my opinion, this happens because engineers decided to ckme up with a set squarage to reach each day which in reality not all job can run to a set squarage.
Nothing I haven’t don’t mate
Jobs worths got nothing better to do , do this all day long !
What you think David Williams?? Lol.
Sg410 and mins to clip on boys and remember the step lol..
Wheres ya harness!lol
Definitely not level like and never get a double on fully on the middle standard…..
Hook on or Sign on….
Tim Landy???
Theyve got hi vis wot more do they want?
Top and bottom of it boys we can’t get away with it now with all safety bollox
Sen this yet?? Joshua Sturdy James Forrest Brakes
Haha ffs is that it. Guys makin a buck and some h&s hidin in a tree takin pics. U ain’t a scaff if u ain’t done this sorry.
Not working to the guidelines but every scaff does this
Joe Fleming, Alexs stretch lifts.
This is me striking Hibernia.
Not something we would do aye Gaz Seymour
That’s looks ok to me
Load of shite street scaffs doing what we been doing for years n still here ,proper scaffs
Looks pretty safe to me, what you reckon Ceri Kes Bryer.