Health and Safety
Executive / Commission
Construction
On Tuesday 11 April 2006, just after noon, an independent tied perimeter scaffold collapsed at McAleer & Rushe construction site in Milton Keynes. The collapse started on the West Elevation (facing Witan Gate), with a partial collapse of the North Elevation (facing Midsummer Boulevard). The scaffold collapse was contained within the Jury's Inn site boundary.
Three workers who were on the scaffold sustained multiple injuries. Sadly, John Robinson died 3 days later in hospital.
HSE served a prohibition notice on the remaining scaffold, and issued notices to prevent anyone disturbing the scaffold and debris until specialists had examined and photographed the scene. Since then HSE has taken statements from over fifty witnesses, recovered key documents, and removed scaffold components to the Health and Safety Laboratories in Buxton, where they have been tested and forensically examined.
From 7-18 January 2008 an inquest in Milton Keynes heard evidence about the events leading up to Mr Robinson's death. On Day 10 Mr Rodney Corner (HM Coroner) recorded a narrative verdict which confirms that Mr Robinson's death arose from injuries that he sustained as a result of the scaffold collapse. A spokesperson for the jury stated that "no one cause can be identified for the collapse of the scaffold but there were several factors that contributed to it."
After the inquest a member of John Robinson's family said "we can only hope that lessons have been learnt which mean that no other family has to suffer in the way we have."
Current HSE interest centres on:
HSE intends to review the investigation findings in light of what witnesses said at the inquest and will then consider whether any prosecutions should be brought. This process is likely to take some time and a decision is unlikely to be made before April or May 2008.
In 2006 the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) issued a safety alert to the construction industry following this incident. The warning aims to alert those working on similar projects to the importance of their arrangements to provide and maintain stable scaffolds. HSE recommends that those arrangements are reviewed regularly.