Roofers, Billy Smith and Ashley Burton, fell more than three metres to the ground below when a scaffold gave way because other workmen began digging a trench near the base of the framework.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted both partners from Select Estates Ltd, of Hurst Green, for breaching the health and safety laws which led to the incident.
Brighton Magistrates’ Court heard a number of roofers at the new housing development in London Road, Hurst Green, were standing on scaffolding between two semi-detached houses. The scaffolding was loaded with tiles.
Down below, in order to install drain and sewer systems, two ground workers began digging a trench next to the foot standings of the scaffold. The standings of the scaffold were undermined by the removal of dirt to create the trench, which slipped into the trench.
As a result of the incident, Mr Smith from Kemsing, Kent, injured his lower back while Mr Burton, from Sevenoaks, Kent, received cuts to his head and tore a muscle in his shoulder. He was off work for two months.
One of the injured men, Ashley Burton, said the incident had affected him deeply and admitted to still being nervous about climbing scaffolding to do his work.
The court was told the incident was caused by a number of parties carrying out their allotted tasks with little regard for others in terms of co-operation and co-ordination.
The scaffold was overloaded with people and building materials and there was no suitable site supervision nor management of the tasks to be undertaken.
HSE’s Inspector Russell Smith said:
“Falls from height are the biggest causes of workplace deaths and it’s crucial that employers make sure work is properly planned, supervised and carried out to protect staff from these risks.”
“In this case, it is extremely fortunate that nobody was killed, however, it could have been so much worse. If there was adequate management of the construction site, this incident could easily have been prevented.”
John Marton, Principal Contractor of Select Estates Ltd of Hurst Green pleaded guilty to regulation 22(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 at court today (15 March). He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,832.
Martin Taylor, Principal Contractor of the same company pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 22(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 at court today. He was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,832.
Via: HSE (Press Release) U.K. Edition
People working for Redhall Engineering Solutions (RES) had turned up for work as usual on Tuesday expecting to work at Saltend Chemicals plant near Hull.
But Vivergo Fuels which runs the plant has cancelled the contract with RES saying the project is behind schedule.
RES was unavailable, but the GMB union said the situation was “uncertain”.
Worldwide industrial services and engineered products company Harsco Corporation (NYSE:HSC) announced today new awards from India’s Tata Group that further extend Harsco’s ongoing industrial scaffolding support of facility maintenance at Tata Steel for an additional five years, and add new scaffolding services with Tata Power and Tata Mines. The awards represent combined revenues in excess of $8 million over their terms.
Harsco’s growing support of the Tata Group underscore the Company’s strategic goals for market expansion within India’s industrial sector. Harsco serves Tata Steel at its flagship steelmaking operations in Jamshedpur, where the Company provides round-the-clock scaffolding and powered access services in support of the facility’s plant maintenance and shutdown requirements, a role that the Company began in 2008 and continues to strengthen. In its new roles for Tata Power and Tata Mines, Harsco will undertake similar on-site scaffolding services in support of facility maintenance.
Tata Steel recently honored Harsco with a Best Vendor performance award for the year 2010, recognizing the Company for outstanding safety performance and having achieved “the highest quality of scaffolding standards.”
Harsco Corporation is one of the world’s leading diversified industrial services and engineered products companies, serving industries that are fundamental to global infrastructure development and economic growth including metals, construction, railways and energy. Harsco’s common stock is a component of the S&P MidCap 400 Index and the Russell 1000 Index. Additional information can be found at 
Russell Flook, of Flooks Scaffolding, admitted the health and safety offence at Bristol Crown Court.
The 45-year-old, of Rogers Walk, Bridgeyate, admitted that there was a failure to provide a safe system of work for the firm’s employees while they were working on temporary roofs on October 4, 2006.
The charge included failures to adequately assess the risk of the work and provide adequate training, instruction, supervision and monitoring.
It also included a failure to provide adequate equipment for the work.
The Crown Prosecution Service alleged the failures led to the death of Shaun Stevens, a 41-year-old, married father-of-three, who died 12 days after falling 15ft from a scaffolding structure and hitting his head at the company’s yard in Station Road.
Marcus Tregilgas-Davey, defending, said his client had pleaded guilty on the basis that there was a lack of a written risk assessment, not that “an unsafe method for dismantling the structure was employed”.
He said his client accepted that the safety harnesses being used were inadequate after they had been tested.
Mr Tregilgas-Davey said there was “no causal connection between the breaches and the death”.
He said: “There is a small amount of light between us and where the Crown puts the case.”
The court was told Flook was likely to receive a financial punishment.
Judge Neil Ford asked for further financial information about the firm’s four other partners ahead of sentencing at Bristol Crown Court on April 27.
Via: 
The striker, who left Tonbridge last season to join Dartford, was loaned back to the Angels last week and started in the two recent draws against Kingstonian and Wealdstone.
Rook admitted he was surprised at the speed of the move back to Longmead, having been told last Tuesday by Dartford boss Tony Burman that he needed to go out on loan and get some games.
Conference Premier side Eastbourne Borough had expressed an interest, as had Carshalton Athletic, but when Angels boss Tommy Warrilow came calling, there was only one place the former Horsham man was going.
“Tony Burman told me I was going out on loan on the Tuesday and by Thursday I was back at Tonbridge,” Rook said. “It was quite a surprise to me if I’m honest, but there are three strikers at Dartford fighting for one place and I’ve been in and out of the side. The manager said that I needed to get out and get some games and I agreed. I made the decision to go back to Tonbridge, which was an easy one really; they’re pushing for promotion so hopefully I can score some goals to get us there.”
The 28-year-old scaffolder admitted the prospect of playing in the Conference Premier with Eastbourne Borough had appealed, but having looked at away trips to Wrexham, Gateshead and Southport in the next few weeks, work commitments ruled that out.
Having experienced the agony of missing out in the play-offs with the Angels in his first spell, Rook is confident Tonbridge have the squad to go one better this time around. Warrilow has also set him a goal target for the remaining games of the season, and the striker says promotion for Tonbridge to the Conference South next season may come into the equation when it comes to sorting out his future this summer.
He said: “It’s a shame if it has not worked out at Dartford, whether the manager sees something in me he does not like I don’t know.
“I’d love to be able to help Tonbridge go up and Tommy has set me a target of 10 goals in the last 12 games and hopefully I can achieve that. This is the best squad he has had at the club, and he’s had some good players in the last few years but not many would get in this side.
“I’m out of contract in the summer, but it’s up to other people with what happens. I’ve been in and out of the team at Dartford, but then you get an offer from Eastbourne Borough in the Conference Premier and it makes you think that someone sees something in you to play that level. I also really enjoy playing at Tonbridge and I enjoyed my time at Dartford, so there’s a lot to weigh up at the end of the season.”
Via: www.kentnews.co.uk 
The 21-year-old scaffolder has been put forward to the British Boxing Board of Control for a professional licence by his manager Trevor Frater.
Frater’s professional boxing partner Mike Shinfield – who manages several leading boxers in the country – has already seen McSpadden spar with other professional boxers, and said he has what it takes to make the step up.
He now has to face board members before being told whether he will be given his licence.
He said: “This is what I always wanted to do since I can remember.
“I will put in the training, time and effort that it will take for me to succeed in my ambitions to put Louth on the boxing map.”
McSpadden is a member of T&J Pro-Am School of Boxing on Louth Trading Estate, which Mr Frater owns.
He would become Louth’s only current professional boxer.
“That is why this is not just big for me but it is also big for the town, and can only be good for Louth,” said McSpadden.
“There isn’t another pro boxer who is from Louth so it would be a great moment for me.
“This is an opportunity of a lifetime and I really want to take it.
“I have always been encouraged by my family to do it. My dad had his own gym and boxing has always been in the family.”
At amateur level he has boxed at light-middleweight but says as a professional he would prefer to fight at welterweight or light-welterweight.
McSpadden was bought his first pair of gloves by his father before he could walk.
The youngest of seven siblings, McSpadden joined Fabien Boxing Academy, aged five.
He lost contact with the sport in his later primary school years, before taking it back up as a teenager and joining the armed forces where he went 12 competitions undefeated.
After a spell in the army, he left to move back to Louth with his family, joining T&J.
His first ABA competition was at Sheffield Working Men’s Club and he stopped a fighter with vastly superior experience inside 50 seconds of the first round.
After 17 fights in a year, he remained undefeated.
Mr Frater said: “I helped him with his fitness levels and his boxing skills and he showed mass improvement immediately.
“I noticed that, in-line with new ABA rules, I was going to have to completely change Sam’s boxing style.
“I don’t see the point doing that and after speaking with Mike we came to the same conclusion about Sam’s boxing career and are going to put him forward for a professional licence.”
McSpadden has undergone a medical and a brain scan in preparation. He will go around the country sparring with other professionals.
T&J Pro-Am are looking for sponsors for McSpadden. Call Trevor Frater on 07854081736.
Via: Grimsby Telegraph