HSE secures conviction of London-based firm with help of BBC footage showing scaffolding in 'poor condition'

London-based construction firm Regentford has been fined £250,000 following the death of one of its workers after the HSE uncovered video evidence of the incident.

The Health and Safety Executive, which carried out an investigation into Balwinder Kumar’s death, was able to secure its conviction with help of BBC video footage obtained during the filming of a documentary.

Kumar was re-pointing brickwork when he fell from scaffolding at the rear of a building in Croydon, south London. He suffered severe head injuries and was taken to King’s College Hospital where he died on 1 March 2005.

When the HSE went to investigate, it emerged that a BBC crew filming the series ‘Trauma’ had accompanied the medical staff who attended the site. The film showed "scaffolding in very poor condition with insufficient guard rails and an inadequate working platform", said the HSE.

HSE Inspector Nigel Evans said “The footage from the documentary crew showed that the scaffolding was totally inadequate for the job in hand.

"Mr 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. “

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