Regentford fined over safety breach after video evidence revealed 'poor condition' of scaffolding

A London firm has been fined 拢250,000 for the death of a worker thanks to evidence from a BBC documentary.

In 2005, mason and plasterer Balwinder Kumar was working for Regentford of Hackney when he fell from scaffolding and suffered fatal head injuries. But when investigators from the Health and Safety Executive arrived the scaffolding had been removed.

However, it later emerged that a BBC television crew, which was filming for a documentary called Trauma, had accompanied medical staff. Their footage revealed that the scaffolding was in a 鈥減oor condition鈥� with 鈥渋nsufficient guard rails and an inadequate working platform鈥�.

HSE inspector Nigel Evans said: 鈥淢r Kumar needlessly lost his life on a small construction site, and it is these smaller sites where a significant proportion of fatalities in the industry occur each year.鈥�

As well as a 拢250,000 fine the company was ordered to pay 拢72,000 costs.

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