Court Summary - at a glance
Date of offence:
Between 4 January 2017 and 22 February 2017
Plea:
Guilty
Decision:
Convicted
Final decision date:
Fine imposed:
$150,000
Safety lessons learned:
- Ensure that the scaffold was designed so that it was safe for its intended purpose, including by making proper provision for: safe working limits, dead weights and live weights (including workers, tools and materials, windage and traffic vibrations from the bridge).
- Ensure that the load calculations and designed drawings for the scaffold were reviewed by an engineer prior to the scaffold being build.
- Ensure that contractors (and staff) are adequately supervised while working on the scaffold, including by having a suitably qualified person conducting regular site inspections.
- Ensure that check couplers (or an effective alternative contingency measure) were added to the scaffold.
Defendant name:
Affordable Scaffolding (2010) Limited
Industry:
Building and construction
Date of offence:
Between 4 January 2017 and 22 February 2017
Facts in brief:
The Defendant, a specialist in scaffold design and erection, devised and erected a flawed scaffold beneath the Panmure bridge. The scaffold collapsed causing six workers to fall into the water below and suffer minor injuries.
Offence section:
Sections 36(1)(b), 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Sections 36(1)(b), 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Sections 36(1)(b), 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Date(s) charged:
Court:
Auckland - District Court
Plea:
Guilty
Final decision date:
Decision:
Convicted
Fine imposed:
$150,000
Maximum fine available:
$1.5 million
Reparation:
$12,000 - emotional harm
$15,000 - costs
$15,000 - costs
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