A Glasgow scaffolding firm has been fined after a roof worker fell through a defective scaffold tower deck to his death.
James Baillie, 53, suffered serious head injuries after he fell almost six metres whilst carrying out roof work at a two storey domestic property in Thorntonhall, South Lanarkshire on September 22, 2011. He died from his injuries the next day, on September 23, 2011.
Hamilton Sheriff Court heard that the scaffold deck was in a bad state of repair due to brown rot decay and when Mr Baillie walked on it, it broke, causing him to fall to the ground.
Extra Access of c/o Scott-Moncrieff, 25 Bothwell Street, Glasgow pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £40,000.
Graeme McMinn, Health and Safety Executive Inspector, said: “The company failed to provide safe and suitable working equipment for their customer and his workers.
“There is no excuse for allowing the use at work of mobile access tower components that were in such a poor condition, the scaffolding industry is well aware of the risks involved in this type of work.
“Mr Baillie’s tragic death could have been avoided if Extra Access had ensured the scaffold tower deck was properly inspected and maintained or otherwise taken out of service.”
