TV studio sentenced for worker’s death
- Details
Justin Newitt fell five metres through an opening on the roof at the TV studio on 23 September 2015 after using an unsafe mobile access tower to climb to the roof.
The Health & Safety Executive (HSE) identified a lack of planning with regards to the condition the tower, which had ladder sections the wrong way round, damaged bracing and inadequate guardrails. No formal planning had been recorded and there had been no supervision on how the work was being carried out.
HSE also highlighted that Mr Newitt had not been trained to erect the tower safely.
HSE inspector Stephen Green comments: “Had the work been properly planned with suitable access equipment, correctly placed and erected, by those with adequate training, the work could have been done safely and this tragedy could have been averted. Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work related fatalities in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.”
PASMA, the Prefabricated Access Suppliers’ and Manufacturers’ Association, has said the case had been “a particularly distressing incident, as the Association goes to great lengths to promote the safe use of mobile access towers”.
PASMA chair, Gillian Rutter, comments: “This tragic incident could’ve have been avoided by putting basic checks and training in place. Although the company has been fined, it does not represent the loss Mr Newitt’s family and friends must live with. Everyone should be working safely at height - no exceptions.”
PASMA managing director, Peter Bennett, adds: “This fatality underlines the need for work at height, however ordinary or routine, to be properly planned, supervised and carried out by competent people.
“The poor condition of the tower was another accident waiting to happen. Any item of work at height equipment should be subject of a pre-use inspection and the completion of a pre-use inspection record. Tower components should also be inspected at suitable intervals and a record kept of those inspections. You must also be trained and competent to build and dismantle a tower. Selecting, inspecting and maintaining the correct equipment is essential to safe working.”
(Jim Evans)
