A company in Dorset has been prosecuted after a scaffold collapsed at an industrial unit.

Poole Magistrates heard how the company had been contracted to erect scaffolding at the industrial unit to provide edge protection for works to be carried out on the roof.

The scaffolding collapsed in September 2015 narrowly avoiding an office worker as they exited the building but resulting in serious damage to a number of parked cars.

The HSE concluded that the company had failed to ensure the scaffolding that had been provided was appropriately designed and set up to prevent possible collapse during use. The company also failed to ensure the scaffolding was suitably attached to the building to withstand foreseeable wind loads.

The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 19 (2) of the Construction Design and Management Regulations 2015 and was fined £27,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4,051.

Speaking after the hearing HSE Principal Inspector commented that "The company failed to ensure the scaffolding was properly secured to the building to avoid it putting workers and members of the public at risk of it collapsing in high winds. It is very lucky nobody was injured as result of this incident. All duty holders have the responsibility to ensure all scaffolding work is properly designed and installed by competent workers."