Scaffolding collapse thought to be sabotage

ADVERTISEMENT

A scaffolding structure has collapsed in suspicious circumstances in a town in Scotland.

According to reports, the scaffolding collapse happened in the early hours of Wednesday morning. It fell onto buildings on the other side of a narrow road in Kirkcaldy.

No one was injured in the collapse but the scaffolder who erected the job is convinced it was sabotaged to attack his Edinburgh-based firm Blair Scaffolding.

Speaking to local newspaper The Courier Blair Dryburgh said: “It’s absolutely crazy, you work hard to build a business to provide for your family and for your employees then someone sabotages your business like this.”

The scaffold came down during high winds but the scaffolder said it was impossible that this was the cause and has evidence to show that the job was tied in.

Evidence that the scaffold was tied in when first erected / Image credit: thecourier.co.uk

“We drill into the wall and fix anchors to it,” he said.

“Someone has taken the butts out that tie that together and adjusted the outside legs. The jacks had been dropped by about six inches.

“They’ve tied a bit of rope to the top and pulled it over, They must have stood in the church grounds opposite, as the rope was still over that side.”

Blair said his team, who are fully qualified and insured, build a number of scaffolds a day, and on rare occasions, the wind has been known to lift boards but had damaged this scaffold in such a way.

The Courier reported that the collapse is believed to have happened at around 1am and the road was closed until the scaffolding was removed later in the morning.

Most popular ↑

Scaffolder ‘lucky to be alive’ after CCTV captures skylight fall

CCTV footage showing the moment a scaffolder fell through...

Nearly 80% of scaffold sites fail safety checks in German state

Authorities in the German state of Hesse have launched...

NASC safety report shows zero member fatalities as workforce passes 20,000

NASC contractor members recorded zero operative fatalities in 2025,...

ScaffChamp future under review after successful Vilnius event

The future location of ScaffChamp is unclear after key...

Layher UK brings open morning series to Livingston

Layher UK is bringing its regional open morning series...

Latest news

ADVERTISEMENT
More from
Latest articles

Tickets go on sale for 2026 Scaffolding Excellence Awards

Tickets and tables for the 2026 Scaffolding Excellence Awards are now on sale, with...

UK construction starts tipped to rise after difficult start to 2026

UK construction activity is expected to recover from 2027 after a difficult start to...

Scaffolding takes centre stage at Arc Project’s 24-hour warehouse race

Midland Scaffolding Services has helped deliver an unusual event project after building a 270...

Layher UK brings open morning series to Livingston

Layher UK is bringing its regional open morning series to Scotland later this month,...

Scaffolder ‘lucky to be alive’ after CCTV captures skylight fall

CCTV footage showing the moment a scaffolder fell through a warehouse roof skylight has...

NASC safety report shows zero member fatalities as workforce passes 20,000

NASC contractor members recorded zero operative fatalities in 2025, according to the organisation’s latest...

ScaffChamp future under review after successful Vilnius event

The future location of ScaffChamp is unclear after key figures behind the international scaffolding...

Stepup expands OCTO access in Denmark through SST deal

Stepup Octo ApS has announced a new partnership with Danish scaffolding specialist SST ApS...