THREE construction firms have been fined a total of £40,000 following a near-fatal scaffolding collapse on a building site.

Workers at the former Riverside Centre in St John’s Avenue, Braintree, were forced to leap to safety through open windows when the forty metres long and five storey high scaffolding fell in July last year.

Builders Parkland Developments of Witham Road, Black Notley, health and safety company Haze and Safety of Meadowside, Braintree, and SC Cousins Scaffolding of Church Street, Billericay, admitted a range of failings at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court.

The court heard how the safety co-ordinator had not provided suitable advice to the builders, who then failed to implement the construction phase plan and monitor the scaffolding works.

The scaffolders admitted failing to plan the work or design the scaffold. They also failed to send trained and competent workers to the site.

In the weeks prior to the collapse, a scaffolding labourer was acting as the supervisor and overseeing trainee scaffolders.

Following the collapse, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) served a notice stopping work until an adequate design had been drawn up.

But SC Cousins continued to send untrained scaffolders to the site and Parkland Developments allowed them to adapt the scaffold.

Parkland also continued to allow site labourers to adapt scaffolding and provided the tools to do so.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Adam Hills said: “This collapse was entirely preventable and it is only by chance that multiple fatalities did not occur.

“It beggars belief that following the collapse, no lessons were learnt and untrained people were still allowed to adapt the scaffold.

“This case highlights the importance of ensuring those who undertake construction work have the relevant skills, knowledge, training and experience to do so.”

Parkland Developments admitted breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. They were fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,893.

SC Cousins admitted breaching Work at Height Regulations and were fined a total of £15,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,981.

Haze and Safety admitted breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 and were fined a total of £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,981.