A scaffolding company and its director have been fined for safety failings after a worker suffered life-changing injuries in a 2.5 metre fall from a scaffold platform at a property in Kent.

The worker, who was untrained, fell from the first lift of the scaffold as it was being dismantled. He was passing boards down to another worker when he lost his footing and fell to the concrete below.

The man, from Rainham, Kent, who does not wish to be named, suffered severe head injuries and needed surgery to remove the frontal lobe of the brain. He spent many weeks in hospital and is unlikely to be able to work again.


The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) today (6 Nov) prosecuted Paramount Scaffolding Ltd and director Luke Jessup, both of Gillingham, Kent after investigating the incident at the house in Meopham, near Gravesend, on 25 January this year.

Sevenoaks Magistrates' Court heard that Paramount Scaffolding had a three-man team on site to dismantle the scaffolding. Director Luke Jessup was the only trained scaffolder among them.

The injured worker was standing on the first level of the scaffold and was lifting the boards and passing them to a colleague below. The platform had been six boards wide and was down to three when he lost his footing and fell. The edge protection had already been removed.

Paramount Scaffolding Ltd of Wigmore Road, Gillingham, and Luke Jessup of Wigmore Road, Gillingham, both pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. Both Paramount and Mr Jessup were fined £2,000 with £1,000 costs each.

(CD/GK)