Two companies have been fined a total of £1.3m following the death of a scaffolder who was just weeks away from his wedding day.
The court was told John Altoft, 29, from Scunthorpe was killed when he fell to his death after being struck by falling debris inside an industrial tower.
On 18 January 2012, a team from Cape Industrial Services Ltd were installing an access scaffold to enable the relining of the inside of a steel plated tapered cylindrical structure at the Cemex Cement Works in Rugby.
Warwick Crown Court heard the team was working inside the Cyclone 1 tower when concrete debris dropped on to Altoft causing him to fall seven metres to the bottom of the structure causing fatal head injuries.
His colleague Ty Smart was also seriously injured, suffering serious wrist and arm fractures and has been unable to work since the incident.
Inspectors from the HSE told the court that both Cemex UK Operations Ltd and Cape Industrial Services Ltd Scaffolding should have co-ordinated and planned this high risk work to a higher standard.
Cemex UK Operations Limited, Coldharbour Lane, Surrey, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £700,000 and was ordered to pay £90,783.78 in costs.
Cape Industrial Services Limited, Stockley Bridge, Uxbridge, Middlesex pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £600,000 was ordered to pay £90,783.78 in costs.
HSE Inspector, Sue Thompson, said: “John Altoft should have been celebrating his wedding, but instead his family suffered a terrible loss.
“This was an entirely preventable incident and proper planning and protection from the foreseeable danger of falling material would have prevented this from happening.”
Michelle Altoft, John’s mum, said: “John was very loyal and hard working. He turned into the most handsome, caring young man, and I could not be more proud of him. He would help anyone and be there when you needed him.
“I have lost the most precious thing any mother could lose, and will never be replaced – my child.”
Carly Sargent, John’s fiancé, said: “Even now, two years on I still miss John. Mine and John’s life together was taken away from us. We grew up together. He worked hard all his life with the intention of becoming my husband and having a family. This is all he wanted. We both wanted the same things.”
tragic, scaffolders should never died at work
A sad loss!! RIP John taken but never forgotten
worked with John and Ty on burton two cracking lads,great shame,R.I.P John.
R.i.p … I think this was from a while ago pal before they hit all the safety nets in them dd chambers and removed all the refractory
Dan Rhys Daniel Ryan Luke everyone said it was a dangerous place RIP to the scaffolder who sadly lost his life
Sad loss for us all, he was a great fella
Rip fellow Scaff
One the blokes is That Nick Morgon he need a good U0001f44aU0001f3feU0001f44aU0001f3feU0001f44aU0001f3feU0001f44bU0001f3feU0001f44bU0001f3feU0001f44bU0001f3feU0001f44bU0001f3feU0001f44bU0001f3fe Slap Too
The place is still a death trap stay away lads there’s loads of better jobs out there
and the tool running the scaffolding for Harsco is a U0001f514U0001f51a
RIP brother scaff
I was just gonna tag u in this, that place was dangerous, some of the jobs we had to do were so unsafe
I worked along side John on west Burton nice young lad so sad he’s not with us all any more
Why did the companies not do risk assessments and method statements that would have prevented this ffs
I worked there for Palmers at the same time this happened, was a very sad day on the cemex site, far to young and a great shame.
Worked with him for a few months he wo good lad nd taken away just like that, sad.
I remember that day well, I was with palmers and we handed over to capes I felt very sad for the loss of such a young man with his life ahead of him.
Awful that we stripped the scaffold out the lad was on
Place is a death trap
I new John very well sad loss
The money should go to his family