Flook Scaffolding have been ordered to pay just over £4,000 for Health & Safety Breaches
Shaun Stevens,41 fell 13ft to his death when dismantling racking at Flook Scaffolding yard.
The HSE had found after an investigation the firm had breached safety regulations, but these were not the direct result for Shaun’s death
Company partner Russell Flook,46 of Bridgeyate Bristol pleaded guilty to the breaches in that the firm lacked a written Risk Assessment, had defected safety harnesses and also created a bogus method statement following the death of Shaun.
The judge fined Flook Scaffolding £3,000 as well as £1,000 costs and £15 victim charge.
The court heard how in October 2006 Shaun and two other workmates were given the job of dismantling the racking with a corrugated roof. Shaun took the top position and fell to the ground and hit his head. He was rushed to Frenchay Hospital but died without gaining consciousness 12 days later.
Shaun was not wearing a safety harness at the time and there is no statutory requirements for that job. But the HSE investigated and found that 4 harnesses for higher work were either old, cut or badly worn.
The accident happened on the 4th October and Flook showed the HSE the method statement for the job which he actually created on the 5th October.
Shaun Stevens of Kingswood Bristol worked for the company for 7 years and was highly regarded as a Scaffolder and as a person.
Flook Scaffolding stopped trading in September 2010 and had debts of £160,000, Boss Scaffolding was then set up but that had accrued debts and Flook himself had £5,000 of mortgage arrears.
Shaun’s widow Tanya said “I hope that Russell Flook has learnt from this and takes health and safety seriously on site, making sure his workers wear harnesses and work safely, so that no one else has to experience what we have gone through.”
