18/08/2010 - Unsafe scaffold has man in plaster
A man was left with his foot in plaster for four months because his bosses failed to ensure his safety at work.
Kevin Ford, who worked for Rafferty Chimneys Engineering, fell 1.5 metres from a tower scaffold he was dismantling and sustained a serious fracture to his heel.
The accident happened at a site in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, near the firm's offices in Nash Peake Street. Mr Ford had slipped on the scaffold and his injury was so severe he needed pins to hold his heel together.
Rafferty was contracted to carry out inspections of 20-metre steel chimneys belonging to Churchill China (UK), a pottery company. A tower scaffold was used to reach the chimney roofs but investigating health and safety inspectors discovered that Rafferty had failed to place the tower's guard rail at a safe height, did not use the correct boards and had no toe boards in place at all.
Appearing before magistrates in Newcastle-under-Lyme, the firm admitted breaking section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £8,000. It was also told to pay £5,000 for prosecution costs.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
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