Young Scaffolder is in intensive care after three-storey fall from scaffolding

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A scaffolder who survived a three-storey fall in Thornbury, Bristol is in a ‘critical but stable’ condition in hospital.

Scaffolder Jack Conner Brown
Scaffolder, Jack Conner Brown

21-year-old Scaffolder Jack Conner Brown, was rushed to Southmead Hospital after plunging approx 8 meters from the top of scaffolding last Thursday (2 June), hitting scaffold tubes on the way down.

This latest tragedy follows the death of Jack’s baby son earlier this year, his family told the local Gazette paper.

Emergency services were called to help Jack, Paramedics treated him at the scene, before taking him to hospital in an ambulance. An air ambulance landed in Mundy Playing Fields but was not needed.

It has been reported that Jack had started working for Bristol-based firm RJ Scaffolding less than two months before, but had six months training beforehand.

scaffold fall

Jack’s family told the Gazette paper that he is currently on a ventilator as the fall damaged his lungs, and he has had surgery to relieve pressure from three skull fractures.

His other injuries include fractures around the eye socket and face, as well as to his arm and leg.

Medical teams at NHS North Bristol Trust, which runs Southmead, said Jack is in a critical but stable condition in the intensive care unit.

Jacks cousin Corey Williams said: “Jack is cheeky, funny and very popular, He is a very selfless person and his friends and family mean the world to him. He had only just moved into a new flat with his girlfriend two weeks ago.”

“He has had a very hard year as his baby son passed away and this week is the 10 year anniversary of when his dad died. Frankly the timing of all this couldn’t have been any worse.”

Mike Brown, Jack’s grandfather, added: “I have not spoken to the people who were with Jack on site, but I am in daily contact with the people that employ him.

“They have told me that they are unsure of what happened but that Jack was at the top of the scaffolding tower when he suddenly plunged from the top level.

“Obviously the Health and Safety Executive have been called in to investigate the accident and his boss is giving them all the necessary support and help.”

 

 

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87 COMMENTS

  1. Wish him and his family all the best and a speedy recovery. But please lads always always clip on. I know sometimes you don’t think it’s needed or it will be alright but it can honestly happen to anyone especially when stripping someone else’s job.

  3. I think most of you should be slightly more cautious with your comments, some I tend to agree with but most comments absolutely not for the following reasons.
    it is commendable for a young lad wanting to learn and progress (weren’t all you scaffolding lads commenting like that when you started?) perhaps I could put this tragic accident in a different light for you. questions: where was his supervision? Is (assuming he wasn’t working alone) his lead scaffolder competent to supervise this young eager lad? who assessed the lead hand to be competent? was there a specific Risk Assessment present? is there a culture within this company that perhaps placed pressure on the lad to do as everybody else? from the image it shows little or no safe means of access or egress regardless whether the lad was erecting or dismantling. as a scaffolder for many of decades and now heading the safety department of a scaffolding company I believe that the root cause of this lads tragic accident maybe closer to his employers management system rather then the lad himself. 
    Get well soon kid I hope you’ll make a full recovery and can go back enjoying scaffolding as a profession (just think that if it is not safe speak out)

  8. Well it’s all about safety yes your right MIKE the company should be paying but it also is a type of selection so not any body can get a job if you get where I’m coming fromU0001f44dU0001f3ffU0001f44cU0001f3ffU0001f4aaU0001f3ff

  12. “6 months training before hand” is nowhere near long enough to be off the ground. It’s time in that allows the appreciation of how close to the edge you are working. You cannot be a scaffolder overnight irrespective of how quickly the training bodies will sell you a ticket.
    Get well soon fella!

  14. The lesson is don’t be confident long experience or short experience accident is always here always keep our mind scaffolding job are very dangerous at risky Job don’t thinking I’m a 15 years experience easy for me daily daily doing like this.one mistake in a second you are die I’m die…always think safety

  17. Thing is too no one takes time to teach young kids these days. We got screamed at but it was drilled into u to watch your back, constantly watch for traps etc and be on the ball 24/7. No one passes this on to the younger kids. They are too busy bragging about how good they are instead of teaching the young kids the basic scaffolders instincts what the older generation taught them. The 30/40 yr old scaffs now are not like the 30/40 yr old guys who i did my time with. We grafted, took risks, but were savvy and alot safer if that makes sense. When youve no safety equipment youve nothing to fall back on so you have to be on the ball.

  30. Too many guys coming into scaffolding and wanting to bypass the labouring stage…. The cisrs courses have made this issue worse the amount of guys we have doing there part 1 and then thinking there a “scaffolder”
    Get well soon mate U0001f600

  32. Looks like they were striking the scaffold the top sway brace is hanging from one swivel.guess is he undone the bottom leaning on the brace an it’s popped out.Glad he’s alright an it’s that easy be vigilant lads.

  34. It looks like the sway is hanging from above. Gone to climb up and its slipped out the bottom swivel?
    Or he was leaning on the sway as he undid the bottom swivel and fell?
    Either way he shouldn’t have been up the in the first place after only a few months in the game!

  47. You only got to look at the pic mate , not a single guardrail or a full deck of boards , not a ladder in sight etc etc , feel sorry for the lad but shouldn’t been up there , agree with you mate they get tools far too early
    Y

  56. So sad but don’t know why people don’t feel need to clip on. To many street firms don’t police this its lads and their family’s that suffer. it’s a dangerous game look out for each other and for god sake clip on.

  57. It can happen to anyone my mate fell 20 foot 3 months ago and he’s been scaffolding 30 years !!!!!! But the kid shouldn’t of been up there I wasn’t allowed a spanner for a year yet alone 3 lifts up…….. Get well soon mate and all the very best

  60. No advance handrail or internal bracing put in from the 2nd lift up ain’t even a ladder for the geezer to get up and down who’s training up theses lads ffs hope he gets well soon

  62. From the pic looks like the sway is hanging at the top just thought he could have climbed up and it pulled out a old school Scaff here done it years ago and landed on his podge went straight in his side

  64. Did you mean the top of the swayer wasn’t done off or the topper was loose? Ive been scaffolding 11 years, ive never heard or seen anthing like a swayer lifting a topper out whilst climbing up. Granted he “shouldnt” be climbing the swayer but what prat puts a topper in without doing it off?! Or for that matter tops up and doesnt run your lift in. Just curious U0001f44dU0001f3fb

  67. Be careful brothers, our life in scaffolding is “one miss you die” most specialy in elevated area work…
    And focus our mind in work, use harness and larnyard always and 1million % tie off when doing a work.. And use proper PPE always…
    And of course prayer to our god and faith with god is the best savior in our life..

  68. Two weeks course is a joke it’s a money making scheme to make jobs for mates, you have to do a 2 day course now to be a labour the company you work for should be doing that, get well soon mate

  74. All the best butt, speedy recovery U0001f44dU0001f3fc who does scaffold properly using handrails steps boarding the lift from lift below ect we wouldn’t get anything done! We adapt we overcome we problem solve we are the SCAFFOLDERS!

  81. Im amazed keafer on sellafield have never had a serious accident as there have got a few who think they no it all put though courses way to quick mainly cos who they no and not wat they no