Self-employed scaffolder Sonny Holland, 20, died doing one of Britain’s most dangerous jobs without training, a safety harness or guardrail.
He fell 20ft through a hole as he was dragging a ladder beam backwards to pass to workmates. He died the next day in hospital from multiple head injuries.
Three of the four workers on the Andrew Geer Scaffolding Ltd site were trainees but Sonny wasn’t registered on the industry training scheme.
Despite a catalogue of failings, coroner Dr Shirley Radcliffe told the jury at Westminster Coroner’s Court the only verdict it could return was one of accidental death.
She summed up: “The Health and Safety Executive expert and inspector identified failures in the following of design, implementation of guard
rails and harness clip on points, the presence of an unguarded hole, the qualifications of the workforce, the lack of training in health and safety matters and the lack of supervision and adequate risk assessment and method statement.”
Sonny’s boss, cage fight promoter Andrew Geer, who has since liquidated the company, was in court where Dr Radcliffe asked him: “Would you accept there was a breakdown between the different people involved in the company and managerial structure as to responsibilities and where they lay?”
Mr Geer replied: “Personally I think that with the amount of time that has lapsed memories are becoming jaded. I’m 100 per cent certain that at the time of the incident the correct measures were in place.”
George Guy, Acting General Secretary of construction union UCATT, said: “This tragic case demonstrates the absurdities of false self-employment.
“How on earth could anyone legitimately be a self-employed apprentice scaffolder.”
The HSE’s investigation into the case is continuing.