AN OXFORDSHIRE firm has been fined for putting up dangerous scaffolding.

The Health and Safety Executive said workers and members of the public were put at risk because of faults with the structures, which included missing ties, bracing and vehicle impact protection.

West Hagbourne-based ASW Scaffolding Ltd was fined a total of £15,000 and ordered to pay £5,438 in costs after pleading guilty on Monday at Oxford Magistrates’ Court to one breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and one breach of the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

The prosecution was over two scaffolding installations – in Grove Street, Wantage and Banbury Road, Oxford.

Inspectors found that the scaffolding in Wantage lacked ties and bracing as well as vehicle impact protection – which meant it could have been knocked over by a car.

The scaffolding in Oxford was spotted by a passing HSE inspector who saw an employee working on a partially-completed structure with no guard rails or other safety features to prevent a fall.

After the hearing, HSE inspector John Caboche said: “The faults we identified at the Wantage installation should have been immediately obvious from a simple check after it was erected.

“With regard to the Oxford structure, the standards for safe working at height are well known within the industry.”