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HatterScaff

HatterScaff

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Lucky escape as high winds send scaffolding crashing into road in Stretham - News - Ely Standard

High winds brought the scaffolding down into the road. Picture: Peter Binns


The scaffolding, believed to have come from a house undergoing renovation, collapsed into High Street shortly after 10.20am, blocking the road to traffic.

No one was injured in the incident but one eye-witness said it was “lucky no-one was killed”.

Michael Candy, staff member at Stretham Stores, in the High Street, said: “The scaffolding came from a house just across the road from the shop, it blew down into the road and blocked it off.

“Luckily there were no cars or people walking on the pavement at the time.”

Police were called and officers diverted traffic while a clean-up operation took place. It is expected to take until early afternoon to clear the debris.

The Health and Safety Executive were also called and inspectors arrived on site shortly before midday.
 
Heavy Fine

Scaffold collapses onto Cambridge street Ι Construction Enquirer


A Cambridgeshire contractor and its director have been prosecuted after an unsecured scaffold collapsed into a street.

The scaffold fell onto the pavement and road in High Street, Stretham, on 18 April 2013 three days after it was erected in front of a house by Buckden firm Crusaders Scaffolding Ltd and director Gary Driver.

An HSE investigation found the two-storey structure, which was around 11 metres long and 4.5 metres high, had not been secured to the property in any way.

Cambridge Magistrates’ Court heard that a large covering of plastic sheeting had been attached to the outside of the scaffold to protect passers-by as the work being carried out on the house involved shot blasting and steam jetting.

But this ultimately acted as a sail that caused it to blow over in the wind.

Crusaders Scaffolding Ltd, registered to High Street, Saffron Walden, Essex, but operating from Great North Road, Buckden, was fined a total of £7,500 and ordered to pay £526 in costs after pleading guilty to two safety breaches.

Gary John Driver, 51, of Buckden, St Neots, was fined £5,000 with £500 costs after also pleading guilty to a safety offence.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector John Berezansky said: “It was extremely fortunate that no-one was working on the scaffold at the time and that no-one or nothing was hit when it fell.

“This is a busy High Street used by children to get to and from the local school. Had the scaffold fell during the morning or afternoon school run it could have been a different story.

“The scaffold fell well below the required standard. In essence, Crusaders Scaffolding created an unsecured sail that fell over in the wind.

“Gary Driver was directly involved in the commissioning and construction of the scaffold. The risks associated with scaffolding are well known in the industry and to have not secured the structure was a basic error.”
 
Agreed and a lot more in for sheeted too.

Just commenting on what it looks like.
 
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