AIM Access Solutions had failed to follow the assembly instructions and include a ladder to access the scaffold. Instead, workers simply climbed the rungs of the scaffold itself.
An HSE investigation was prompted after the regulator was notified of the death of AIM Access employee Robert Duffy. The 45-year-old dies in hospital on 23rd May 2021, three days after sustaining serious injuries while working at the site on Rice Hey Road.
The prosecution was not brought on the grounds that the absence of a ladder was a cause of Mr Duffy’s death.
AIM Access Solutions Ltd, of Knowsley Industrial Park, Kirkby, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £30,800 and ordered to pay £5,040.75 in costs at Wirral Magistrates’ Court on 27th February 2025.
HSE inspector Sam Eves said: “AIM Access Solutions Ltd did not ensure the tower scaffold was constructed correctly. The company failed to provide a safe way to get to and from the work platform, for example using an appropriately designed internal ladder.
“Companies should follow HSE guidance to ensure they effectively plan, manage and monitor similar construction work and reduce the risks to their employees.”
