Scaffolder kills himself after being made redundant

ADVERTISEMENT

An inquest heard that a Scaffolder drove his car into a lorry just weeks after he was told he was being made redundant from his job.

Paul Taylor (image from the mirror.co.uk)

Scaffolder Paul Taylor, 26, was in a lot of debt when he was laid off from Sellafield Power Station.

He died at the scene as he was not wearing a seatbelt, and tests found he had drugs and alcohol in his body.

Paul had spent that day in pubs with his brother talking about what music he wanted at his funeral and telling friends to read the newspapers the next day.

A few days before his death he told a friend that he had attempted to kill himself by driving in front of a lorry but it swerved out of the way. He also added that he was thinking about it again and did not want to see a psychiatrist.

Coroner David Roberts told the Workington inquest he was satisfied that Mr Taylor, of Egremont, Cumbria, had deliberately driven into the lorry to end his life.

He praised the truck driver, Ian Proudman, for trying to get out of the way but added: “It seems to me that Mr Taylor drove in your way.”

The verdict to the inquest was suicide.

Written By Daniel Norton
SM Newsdesk
SM Newsdeskhttps://www.scaffmag.com
The staff at ScaffMag.com the leading scaffolding site for a digital generation.

Most popular ↑

New scaffolding festival announced for summer 2027

ScaffFest 2027 will bring international scaffolding championships, a trade exhibition and family entertainment to NAEC Stoneleigh in Warwickshire next July, Scaffmag can exclusively reveal.

Australian scaffolding group enters administration with over 650 jobs at risk

A group of companies linked to one of Australia’s...

CISRS says CSCS licence was at risk as STA calls for consultation

CISRS says legal advice warned its CSCS licence could be revoked, as training providers call for consultation over its planned departure.

Industry’s best recognised at Scaffolding Excellence Awards 2026

AT-PAC, Benchmark Scaffolding and GKR Scaffolding were among the winners as the 2026 Scaffolding Excellence Awards brought ScaffEx26 to a close in Manchester.

£450k Wandsworth Mills scaffolding package set for tender

Berkeley Group is preparing to tender a £450,000 scaffolding package at Wandsworth Mills in south-west London, with bids due in November.

Latest news

Scaffolding rises to fourth in OSHA’s most-cited safety standards

Scaffolding has moved from sixth to fourth in OSHA’s latest ranking of the most commonly cited workplace safety standards in the US, with 1,725 violations recorded in preliminary FY2026 figures.
- Advertisement -
More from

Eight firms selected for £207m scaffolding framework

Eight scaffolding contractors have been selected for EEM’s new framework, which has an estimated potential value of £207.24m across England and Wales.

New scaffolding festival announced for summer 2027

ScaffFest 2027 will bring international scaffolding championships, a trade exhibition and family entertainment to NAEC Stoneleigh in Warwickshire next July, Scaffmag can exclusively reveal.

NASC adds 1.5m lifts and returns to TG20 ePortal

NASC has updated TG20 in its ePortal to include 1.5m lift heights and scaffold returns, following feedback from users across the industry.

Lighthouse Charity launches £200,000 appeal as demand for support rises

The construction charity is asking the industry to help fund its services this winter after a 51% rise in families seeking support.
Latest articles