Heywood firm fined after steeplejack falls to death

The remains of the scaffolding

2 More Image(s) In Gallery

A Heywood company has been fined after a steeplejack fell 50 metres to his death from an Edwardian chimney, and a colleague was left clinging on for his life.

John Alty and another worker were at the top of the disused chimney at Swan Lane Mills in Great Lever, Bolton, on 4 June 2007 when the scaffolding they were on collapsed.

The 40-year-old father-of-one from Blackburn was pronounced dead at the scene but his colleague survived by clinging to a ladder on the outside of the chimney.

Heywood-based Ken Brogden Ltd and Macclesfield-based Bailey International Steeplejack Company Ltd were both prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following Mr Alty’s death.

Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court heard that Mr Alty’s employer, Bailey International, had been hired to carry out repairs to the brickwork on the chimney, and its two employees had been taking down the scaffolding when it gave way.

The HSE investigation concluded that the company had not used strong enough anchor fixings to attach the scaffolding to the chimney, despite knowing that the brickwork at the top was in a poor condition.

The firm, which employs around 30 people, also failed to check the scaffolding design and to test the fixings before they were used.

The court was told that the scaffolding had been damaged on a previous job, and that Ken Brogden had been hired to repair it. But instead of grinding out the joints and welding them back together, the company welded over the weakened joints.

HSE Inspector Stuart Kitchingman said:“If the work had been properly managed, and carried out to industry standards, then Mr Alty would still be alive today.

“Our investigation found that the most likely cause of the scaffolding collapsing was the weak anchor fixings. But we could not rule out the poorly repaired joints on the scaffolding as a possible cause of Mr Alty’s death.

 “Working as a steeplejack is a potentially dangerous job, and they need to be able to rely on their employers to provide equipment that keeps them safe. Unfortunately, the scaffolding and fixings that were provided simply weren’t up to the job."

Ken Brogden Ltd, of Manchester Street in Heywood, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £10,000 with costs of £16,000.

Bailey International Steeplejack Company Ltd, of Grimshaw Lane in Bollington, admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay £80,000 towards the cost of the prosecution at Manchester Crown Court yesterday (28 January 2011).