Fines totalling £1.3 million following death of scaffolder

CEMEX UK and Cape Industrial Services receive fines of £700,000 and £600,000 respectively

CEMEX UK Operations Ltd and Cape Industrial Services Ltd have been fined a total of £1.3 million following the death of a scaffolder who was just weeks away from his wedding day.

Warwick Crown Court heard that 29-year-old John Altoft was killed when he fell to his death after being struck by falling concrete debris inside an industrial cyclone tower at CEMEX’s Rugby cement works on 18 January 2012.

A team from Cape Industrial Services Ltd was working inside the Cyclone 1 tower installing access scaffolding to allow the re-lining of the steel-plated tapered cylindrical structure when the debris dropped on to Mr Altoft, causing him to fall 7m to the bottom of the structure and resulting fatal head injuries.

A colleague of Mr Altoft was also seriously injured, suffering serious wrist and arm fractures, and has been unable to work since the incident.

Inspectors from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told the court that both CEMEX UK and Cape Industrial Services should have co-ordinated and planned this high-risk work to a higher standard.

CEMEX UK Operations Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were fined £700,000 and ordered to pay £90,783.78 in costs, whilst Cape Industrial Services Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were fined £600,000 and ordered to pay £90,783.78 in costs.

HSE Inspector Sue Thompson said: ‘John Altoft should have been celebrating his wedding but instead his family suffered a terrible loss. This was an entirely preventable incident and proper planning and protection from the foreseeable danger of falling material would have prevented it from happening.’