Man injured after falling through scaffolding trap door

ADVERTISEMENT

A man has fallen through a ladder trap door from the third lift of scaffolding near Newton Abbot, Devon.

The man fell through the third lift of scaffolding landing on the second below. He was in severe pain with a badly-dislocated shoulder and suspected broken arm after the fall.

According to news reports from thisissouthdevon Two fire crews from Newton Abbot, one from Torquay and the specialist rescue team from Exeter were all called.

Incident commander Rob Cude from Newton Abbot said: “The man was working on scaffolding on the roof and he had slipped down from the third floor to the level below.

“He was in quite considerable pain with a very nasty injury.

“We were called by the ambulance height and rescue team and it was a really good example of team work.

“We pitched a ladder at quite a shallow angle from the first floor down to the grass in the front garden.

“We were trying to find a way to bring him down smoothly without aggravating his injury.

“We used the Torquay safety at height and confined spaces team and the specialist team from Exeter who rigged up a method of lowering him down on a sliding stretcher to guide him down smoothly. It was one of the first times we’ve had that ambulance HART team and ourselves all working together and it worked brilliantly.”

Most popular ↑

£260k Newcastle Cathedral scaffolding contract opens for bids

Newcastle City Council has opened a £260,000 scaffolding tender to provide specialist access for conservation repairs to Newcastle Cathedral’s historic 15th-century Lantern Tower.

£4.5m scaffolding framework opens for contractors in North East and Yorkshire

Beyond Housing has opened bidding for a £4.5m scaffolding framework covering planned and reactive works across Redcar and Cleveland and parts of North Yorkshire.

Australia steps up push for scaffolding to gain skilled-trade status

Scaffolding Association Australia has taken its campaign for formal trade recognition and a structured apprenticeship pathway to federal decision-makers in Canberra.

Robot inspection removes need for scaffold access on 70m Cemex kiln

A wall-climbing robot has completed ultrasonic testing across a 70m rotary kiln at Cemex’s Rugby cement plant, removing the need for personnel to work at height and avoiding a conventional scaffold or rope-access operation.

Acrow set to complete AGIS acquisition as industrial access expansion accelerates

Australian scaffolding and construction services group Acrow is preparing to complete its acquisition of AusGroup Industrial Services as it pushes deeper into industrial access across Queensland’s resources and infrastructure markets.

Latest news

£500k scaffolding package opens on major North Somerset campus

A £500,000 scaffolding package is among a series of opportunities being brought to market for Epic Systems’ new European headquarters near Bristol, with local contractors being urged to register their interest.
- Advertisement -
More from

Major fire hits scaffolding yard in Mitcham

Around 125 firefighters were deployed to a major fire in Mitcham that affected a scaffolding yard, workshop and nearby property, with investigators now examining the cause of the blaze.

£260k Newcastle Cathedral scaffolding contract opens for bids

Newcastle City Council has opened a £260,000 scaffolding tender to provide specialist access for conservation repairs to Newcastle Cathedral’s historic 15th-century Lantern Tower.

NASC calls for HSE funding boost and national scaffolding training network

The NASC has called for increased HSE funding, a nationwide network of scaffolding training providers and stronger protections for contractors as it launches its updated 2026 manifesto.

£4.5m scaffolding framework opens for contractors in North East and Yorkshire

Beyond Housing has opened bidding for a £4.5m scaffolding framework covering planned and reactive works across Redcar and Cleveland and parts of North Yorkshire.
Latest articles