A scaffolding company has been fined £20,000 after a worker was struck by a falling metal board at a construction site in Belfast.
Samuel Magill, 60, was hit on the head by the approximately 2.4-metre board on Lisburn Road on 18 December 2024. He died in hospital on 5 February 2025, nearly seven weeks after the incident.
Exclusion zone failure
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) found that 7 Towers Scaffolding had not adequately controlled the exclusion zone around the scaffold during dismantling.
Magill was employed as a collection driver and had arrived to collect dismantled scaffolding components. He parked on the pavement outside the site and walked towards the work area when the board became dislodged from the upper part of the structure. It struck him at the edge of the exclusion zone, next to the pavement.
Paramedics took Magill to hospital by ambulance, where he remained until his death.
The County Antrim-based company had pleaded guilty to one breach of Article 4(1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978. It was fined at Laganside Crown Court on 22 October 2026.
HSENI warning
Kevin Campbell, an inspector with HSENI’s major investigation team, said: “This tragic incident was entirely preventable.”
He said employers must have robust procedures to ensure equipment and components are lowered to the ground in a controlled way. Exclusion zones must also be clearly identified and supported by measures to prevent unauthorised people from entering them.