Cardiff-based scaffolding company Linmar Scaffolding Ltd has been ordered to pay £7,200 in fines and costs after its scaffold at Caerphilly’s Western Industrial Estate collapsed.
The scaffold collapsed outside a factory on the estate in June 2006. Luckily no-one was injured as the collapse happened just 20 minutes before a shift change.
Abergavenny Magistrates’ Court fined the company £1,800 and ordered it to pay costs of £5,400 at a hearing on on Tuesday September 8.
Health and Safety Executive construction inspector Dean Baker said: “Our investigation showed that this scaffolding was not properly secured to the building, which is a basic requirement for structures of this type.
“Scaffolding erection is the stock-in trade of this company but they failed to secure the scaffolding using appropriate ties.
“The scaffolding remained standing for 11 days after it was originally put up, so there was a significant risk of it collapsing while it was in use. Had it collapsed 20 minutes later than it actually did, it would have coincided with a change of shift and there could well have been casualties.
“CCTV footage shows people walking near the scaffolding just two minutes before the collapse, so it was lucky that no-one was actually hurt.”