Two people were trapped and seriously injured after a shoddily built scaffolding tower collapsed on them in Putney High Street. The company responsible, Add Prop Limited, and its sole director, Atif Riaz, have been fined following the incident on July 19, 2023.
Collapse on Busy High Street
Employees working for Add Prop Limited assembled the mobile tower on the street under Riaz's supervision. However, the scaffold tower had been assembled incorrectly and covered in sheeting, with inadequate measures to separate it from members of the public. The sheeting acted as a sail in windy conditions, causing the tower to topple and strike two pedestrians, resulting in serious injuries.
HSE Investigation Findings
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Add Prop Limited failed to ensure the structure was suitable for foreseeable loads, including wind on the sheeting. This was not the first safety failure; the company had previously received a prohibition notice for unsafe work at another site. The tower scaffold was neither assembled nor inspected by trained personnel and was not erected according to manufacturer's instructions or industry guidance.
Court Penalties
At Westminster Magistrates Court, Atif Riaz was fined £1,730 and ordered to pay £1,730 in costs after being found guilty under Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. Add Prop Limited was found guilty of breaching Regulation 19(2)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, fined £20,000, and ordered to pay £7,000 in costs.
HSE Statement
HSE Inspector Daniel Burton said: “The public have a right to expect scaffolding they pass by is safe and has been properly installed – yet every year people are injured when scaffold towers overturn. In this case, two members of the public suffered serious injuries when a scaffold tower overturned on a busy high street. The risks associated with scaffold towers and wind loading are well known within the construction industry – this kind of incident simply should not happen.”
Burton added: “The fines imposed on Add Prop Limited and Atif Riaz should underline to everyone in the construction industry that the courts, and HSE, take failures to follow health and safety requirements extremely seriously. HSE will not hesitate to take action against companies and, where appropriate, directors who fail to do all that they should to keep workers and members of the public safe.”
