Health and Safety in the news this
week
Scaffolder faces jail after he was snapped working 60 feet up
the side of a building wearing a harness that wasn’t hooked to anything
A scaffolder could be jailed
after he was photographed working at 60 feet wearing a harness that wasn’t
secured to anything.
Terrance Murray, 27, was
erecting scaffolding at the side of a six storey building when he was
unknowingly snapped by a retired health and safety inspector. He now faces up to six months in prison after
he admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.
As part of work to renovate the
windows at the Grade II-listed Sunlight House in Manchester, Murray was
constructing scaffolding at the rear of the building, and in the photo, his
apprentice can be seen working further down.
Murray, who is an experienced scaffolder, can be seen standing on planks
without having first erected a rail to stop him falling over the side, as
required.
During his appearance at
Manchester and Salford Magistrates’ Court, he pleaded guilty to failing to take
reasonable care for either himself or others who may have been affected by his
acts and omissions while at work. He had
not realised that he could be sent to prison for the offence, and the case was
adjourned for him to consider obtaining legal representation as he had not been
represented by a lawyer during the hearing.
After the hearing, HM Inspector of Health and Safety, Matt Greenly said:
“The potential for his actions
was the death of a young man. This is a
situation which could easily have been avoided.
He has all the right equipment, but he chose, for some unknown reason,
to take his life in his own hands that day”.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
