Caught on Camera (1 Viewer)

Rigger

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06 April 2010 - Footage filmed for a TV documentary about medics has been used to help secure a conviction against a company carrying out construction work after the death of a 25-year-old.

Mason and plasterer Mr Balwinder Kumar, from Forest Gate, was re-pointing brickwork when he fell from scaffolding at the rear of a building in High Street, South Norwood, Croydon. He suffered severe head injuries in the first storey fall, and was taken to hospital where later he died.

When HSE went to investigate, the scaffolding Mr Kumar had been standing on had been removed. During the investigation it emerged that a BBC television crew filming the documentary 'Trauma', had been accompanying the medical staff who attended the site, and HSE obtained footage showing scaffolding in very poor condition with insufficient guard rails and an inadequate working platform.

Regentford Ltd, of Hackney was fined £250,000 after being convicted of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974. They were also ordered to pay costs of £71,603.01.

Click on link for picture, and to find out how to subsribe to "HSE Info Link"

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-ldn-1305.htm?ebul=cons/apr10&cr=10
http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/coi-ldn-1305.htm?ebul=cons/apr10&cr=10
 
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06 April 2010 - Footage filmed for a TV documentary about medics has been used to help secure a conviction against a company carrying out construction work after the death of a 25-year-old.

Mason and plasterer Mr Balwinder Kumar, from Forest Gate, was re-pointing brickwork when he fell from scaffolding at the rear of a building in High Street, South Norwood, Croydon. He suffered severe head injuries in the first storey fall, and was taken to hospital where later he died.

When HSE went to investigate, the scaffolding Mr Kumar had been standing on had been removed. During the investigation it emerged that a BBC television crew filming the documentary 'Trauma', had been accompanying the medical staff who attended the site, and HSE obtained footage showing scaffolding in very poor condition with insufficient guard rails and an inadequate working platform.

Regentford Ltd, of Hackney was fined £250,000 after being convicted of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act etc. 1974. They were also ordered to pay costs of £71,603.01.

Click on link for picture, and to find out how to subsribe to "HSE Info Link"


TV documentary helps convict Hackney firm


scaffoldpartiallydismantled.jpg


The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the death of employee Balwinder Kumar (also known as Binder Singh) on 24 February 2005. Mason and plasterer Mr Kumar, from Forest Gate, was re-pointing brickwork when he fell from scaffolding at the rear of a building in High Street, South Norwood, Croydon. He suffered severe head injuries in the first storey fall, was taken to King's College Hospital and died on 1 March 2005.

Not sure what point you are making here Rigger, but the scaffold was obviously partially dismantled and appears to have been erected well enough.....there is even some evidence of Aberdeens being used here.

The Main Contractor must be responsible for allowing anyone access to this scaffold and was rightly prosecuted but this is all the more reason to ensure that everyone working in Construction in Great Britain has full knowledge and understanding of correct Health and Safety legislation.

for~site2.jpg
 
Hi Rigger and Charlie

Charlie I don't know about being erected well enough mate. Joints in the same lift, trap ends (even when partly dismantled is not good), excessive transom spacings, not ledger braced every second bay, some of the standards don't look quite plum to me and the detail of the internal corner return is a new one on me.
 
Hi Rigger and Charlie

Charlie I don't know about being erected well enough mate. Joints in the same lift, trap ends (even when partly dismantled is not good), excessive transom spacings, not ledger braced every second bay, some of the standards don't look quite plum to me and the detail of the internal corner return is a new one on me.

Well, none of us know what the original purpose of the scaffold was, but what we can see is obviously not a working lift! If it had been the spacing of the transoms would have been different.

Another thing that none of us know is what may have been removed by any operatives who may have been (wrongly) using this scaffold, to allow them better access to whatever tasks they may have been undertaking.

As far as trap ends on boards are concerned: this is another problem with having non Scaffolders altering or using scaffold materials for which they have no qualification.

It's impossible to judge from this photo whether or not the standards were plumb, but even if they weren't , that wouldn't have been the cause of anyone falling from the scaffold.

The cause of the fall was Stupidity! The scaffold did not fall.
 
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Hi Charlie

Totally agree with you on stupidity being the cause of the fall mate!!

But partially dismantled and even with possible 3rd party interference that is not a job I would rush to put my name to.

I think the point here is that end users of the scaffolds need educating. ie. Don't mess with it and if it aint complete keep off it!!
 
Hi Rigger and Charlie

Charlie I don't know about being erected well enough mate. Joints in the same lift, trap ends (even when partly dismantled is not good), excessive transom spacings, not ledger braced every second bay, some of the standards don't look quite plum to me and the detail of the internal corner return is a new one on me.

Hi Charlie

Totally agree with you on stupidity being the cause of the fall mate!!

But partially dismantled and even with possible 3rd party interference that is not a job I would rush to put my name to.

I think the point here is that end users of the scaffolds need educating. ie. Don't mess with it and if it aint complete keep off it!!

Hello Collo Mate,

You are right and I wouldn't put my name to that job either.........the only point I was making was that the actual scaffold was not the cause of the fall.........it was caused by complete negligence and disregard for safety and a culture that allows untrained and unqualified personnel to work in a very hazardous industry.
 
No fully boarded lifts,no ladder access,no handrails,even to the most stupid people its obvious the scaffold was not fit for working on,makes you wonder at times..:mad:
 
Quote Charlie

Not sure what point you are making here Rigger, but the scaffold was obviously partially dismantled and appears to have been erected well enough.....there is even some evidence of Aberdeens being used here.

I was trying to point out that it is of little use trying to cover your arse by removing the evidence (in this case striking the scaffold) after an accident,in this case a fatal one,before the HSE has conducted an enquirey.Hence the title "caught on camera." With phone camera's and CCTV,there is good chance that a visual record has been made.
A secondary reason was to raise awareness of the HSE web site and Info line to those that may find it useful

As to the state of the Scaffold it is an abortion,it was not erected by a competent scaffolder and is not fit for purpose using Aberdeens is niether here nor there, partially dismantled or not the scaffold is sub standard

Another point I was raising was the amount of the fine £250,000 plus £71,603 costs poor working practices are now being dealt with in a more severe mannar than a few years back
 
Quote Charlie

Not sure what point you are making here Rigger, but the scaffold was obviously partially dismantled and appears to have been erected well enough.....there is even some evidence of Aberdeens being used here.

I was trying to point out that it is of little use trying to cover your arse by removing the evidence (in this case striking the scaffold) after an accident,in this case a fatal one,before the HSE has conducted an enquirey.Hence the title "caught on camera." With phone camera's and CCTV,there is good chance that a visual record has been made.
A secondary reason was to raise awareness of the HSE web site and Info line to those that may find it useful

As to the state of the Scaffold it is an abortion,it was not erected by a competent scaffolder and is not fit for purpose using Aberdeens is niether here nor there, partially dismantled or not the scaffold is sub standard

Another point I was raising was the amount of the fine £250,000 plus £71,603 costs poor working practices are now being dealt with in a more severe mannar than a few years back


As I previously stated: The condition of the the scaffold was neither here or there...................it was obviously in the process of being dismantled and nobody should have been allowed on it!................You appear to be trying to blame Scaffolders whereas perhaps you should be blaming the last government for encouraging sub standard labour to work in this country!

By the way........How do you know that the original scaffold was not erected by a competent scaffolder? Anyone with a Shifting Spanner can alter a perfectly good scaffold.
 
My last Post explains why I started the Thread

Whoever erected or was dismantling the scaffold was incompetant,the job screams incompetance to me.The setting out of the corner return in particular,You have even stated in an earlier post that you would not put your name to it


As to blame I did not infer or otherwise influence the thinking of any one who read the post.I did not blame the accident on the scaffold,I did not blame the non-existant site managemant,I did not blame the idiot who worked from the scaffold, who paid for his mistake with his life,I did not blame Gorden Brown or his government or the free transer of labour between EU member states

I let the facts stand for themselves, as did the court that tried the case.
 
Hi Rigger,

Regardling the Return: I wouldn't set a return out like that and nor would most Scaffolders that I have known, but without knowing the full circumstances that led to it being done that way, we can't really criticise the gang that erected it.

A lot of modification appears to have taken place and very likely done by non Scaffolders.

I would always defend any Scaffolders one hundred per cent until it's proved beyond any doubt at all that they may have been responsible for negligence or incompetence........... there are too many in the Health and Safety fraternity that like to blame Scaffolders for everything..........
 
Rigger mate

I also recieve the HSE construction infonet bulletin, every month, i think it is a good tool for H&S awareness, i print off 2 copies of the Bulletin and hand management one, while i pin the other one on my H&S notice board in the Mess room.

Regarding the original thread, i will not comment on the 'Fatality' or my own interpretations of the 'Fatal scaffold'. However, if a accident occurs at work, the locality of the incident, should be preserved in its original format, for investigation purposes, albeit Police or HSE, for this reason, i believe that the courts imposed a substantial fine to the company, for trying to remove any incriminating evidence.

There is no monetary figure, that could ever balance or compensate the loss of a life.

R.I.P Mr Singh
 
i think that probably the scaffold was erected by the building company as if it had been erected by a scaffolding company they would have been prosecuted aswell yet there is no mention of a scaffold company in the article
 
Whether you think a qualified scaffolder erected this mess or not is not the answer here, the simple fact of the matter is where is the Scafftag (obviously Red in this case) and the Scaffold Inspection records? basicaly there WERE none existant.

My opinion, for what its worth after over 30 years in this game, looking at the photo provided is; this was not even erected by a CITB Trainee scaffolder but was erected by a pure chancer who HAS unfortunatly killed someone. Cost cutting Tin Pot construction outfits with Tin Pot safety is the main reason why us scaffs get a bad name in the industry. My dummy is well and truly outer the pram on this one.

Keep safe.
Doddle.
 
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