A demolition company has been charged with health and safety breaches after a worker sustained serious injuries in Glasgow.

The incident happened at the Hillington Industrial Estate in Glasgow in December 2011, when the 50-year-old worker was carrying out work from a mobile scaffolding platform to enable the building to be demolished.

According to reports, a cable tray swung towards the worker as he was cutting it from the ceiling, hitting him in the shin and knocking him off balance. He fell five feet off the platform causing severe injuries. He fractured his right elbow and fractured his left arm, which required surgery, and also suffered bruising to his head. He has been unable to return to work because of the extent of his injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) conducted an investigation in the incident, and found that the worker’s fall happened because the platform was not put together correctly and was missing guard rails and toeboards. In addition, the HSE discovered that no suitable risk assessment was available on site for the use of the mobile scaffolding platform and it had not been inspected before use.

The company was fined £5,000 after pleading guilty to breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

“The injured person was at risk of falling because the tower was not put together properly,” commented HSE Inspector Graham Mitchell. “Work at Height Regulations require those in control of work at height to take sufficient measures to prevent injuries and this fall could have been easily prevented.”

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