A Merseyside scaffolding company has been fined £30,800 after an investigation found workers had been using an unsafe scaffold at a construction site in Merseyside.
A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd, based in Kirkby, was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after inspectors identified serious failings in the erection of a scaffold tower at a block of flats on Rice Hey Road in May 2021.
An investigation found that the company had failed to follow proper assembly instructions, and workers accessed the scaffold by climbing its framework rather than using a ladder.
The lack of a safe means of access contravened HSE guidelines designed to prevent falls from height – one of the leading causes of serious workplace injuries in the construction sector.
The HSE launched its inquiry following the death of 45-year-old Robert Duffy, an employee of A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd, who suffered serious injuries while working at the site.
Mr Duffy died in hospital three days later. However, the prosecution was not brought on the grounds that the unsafe scaffold was directly responsible for his death.
A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The firm was fined £30,800 and ordered to pay £5,040.75 in costs at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on 27 February 2025.
Following the sentencing, HSE inspector Sam Eves said: “A.I.M Access Solutions Ltd did not ensure the tower scaffold was constructed correctly. The company failed to provide a safe way to get to and from the work platform, for example using an appropriately designed internal ladder.”
He urged companies to follow HSE guidance to ensure that similar work is “effectively planned, managed, and monitored” to protect workers from unnecessary risks.
Each year, multiple injuries occur due to improperly erected scaffolds or the lack of adequate safety measures. The HSE warns that incidents are often caused by defects in scaffold structures or a failure to follow manufacturer instructions regarding bracing and height limitations.
The prosecution was led by HSE senior enforcement lawyer Daniel Poole, with support from HSE paralegal officer Helen Hugo.
