Fall costs scaffolder $45,000

A Rotorua scaffolding company has been ordered to pay $45,000 after a contractor fell 3.5 metres when the unsecured and rotting plank he was standing on snapped.

The man suffered serious head injuries in the fall, which occurred in July last year.

A-Z Rigging and Scaffolding Limited was today fined $30,000 and ordered to pay reparations of $15,500.

"Falls from any height can be deadly, so the victim is extremely lucky to still be alive," Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment central region health and safety manager Ona De Rooy said.

The company was contracted to install scaffolding and planks at a local building site when the incident occurred, the Rotorua District Court heard.

The plank was riddled with soft-rot fungi and wasn't fully secured to the scaffolding, investigations revealed.

"This accident is a timely reminder for companies to follow the correct procedures when erecting scaffolding," De Rooy said.

"A-Z should have followed a few simple but necessary procedures to prevent this accident from happening."

- © Fairfax NZ News