The Health and Safety Executive prosecuted Apex Scaffolding (Sussex) Ltd, its director Michael Walsh, and supervisor Leslie Hustwayte for negligence and defects that contributed towards the incident on 10 August 2009.

Hastings Magistrates’ Court heard that Joseph Murphy had been constructing a scaffold over-roof at Washington Avenue in St Leonards on Sea, when he fell.

An HSE investigation identified a number of defects with the scaffolding at the site, including missing hand rails and incomplete scaffold platforms.

Evidence of deficient working practices by Hustwayte and a negligent safety culture within the company were also found.

Magistrates were told that Prohibition Notices had previously been served on Apex Scaffolding (Sussex) Ltd and on individual employees for unsafe working practices, but the poor attitude to safety in the organisation continued.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Melvyn Stancliffe said: “HSE and the scaffolding industry have worked together to produce easy to follow guidance to help contractors ensure their scaffolding is safe. So there is no excuse for compromising safety – as was clearly the case here.”

Apex Scaffolding (Sussex) Ltd, of Court House, Hooe, Battle was fined £3,000, Walsh, of Hastings was fined £1,500 and Hustwayte of  St Leonards on Sea was fined £2,000 after all admitted to breaching safety regulations.