By Marcus Hale · Published 19 June 2026 · 3 min read

Two contractors fined after uninspected temporary platform collapses on worker

Roots Contractors Limited and Diacutt Limited were fined a combined £32,333 plus costs on 11 June 2026 after a poorly designed temporary platform collapsed, severely injuring a 60-year-old drilling operative. The incident at Paxton House in the City of London left Steve Zschoch with neck and back fractures and a serious bleed on the brain. The severe physical consequences of this collapse demonstrate the critical danger of treating temporary waste platforms as informal site additions rather than engineered structures.

Background

On 23 February 2024, Zschoch was working for subcontractor Diacutt Limited, cutting concrete floors to create a service riser shaft. Roots Contractors Limited, the principal contractor based in Ewell, Surrey, had instructed carpenters to build wooden platforms under each opening to collect heavy 16kg concrete cores and falling debris. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found no formal design existed for the platforms, and they were not regularly inspected by a competent person. Zschoch was working directly underneath one of the platforms when it gave way, burying him under concrete debris. Zschoch told the HSE he was "folded up like a concertina" and described the impact on his daily life as profound. "Even simple domestic tasks, like using the launderette or going to the shops can overwhelm me now, emotionally as well as physically," he stated.

Industry implications

This prosecution highlights the strict statutory liability placed on principal contractors and subcontractors under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. Even simple wooden platforms erected for waste collection qualify as temporary works and require formal design, planning and inspection. Diacutt Limited of Croydon pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 15(2) and was fined £13,000. Roots Contractors Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 16(2) and received a £19,333 fine. Both firms were ordered to pay £5,548 in costs at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

What contractors should do now

Firms must treat all load-bearing temporary structures, including waste chutes and catch platforms, as formal temporary works. This means appointing a designated temporary works coordinator for the site. Contractors must ensure clear, documented designs exist for these structures before any assembly takes place. Regular, recorded inspections by a competent person are mandatory prior to any worker entering the drop zone or working beneath the installation.

Analysis

HSE inspector Lucy Ellison-Dunn told the court that contractors must ensure all construction work is properly planned, managed and monitored to ensure workers can carry out their duties safely. This case demonstrates that the HSE will prosecute both the principal contractor and the subcontractor when site coordination fails completely. While the combined fines might appear proportionate to the size of the firms involved, the resulting civil liabilities and reputational damage will heavily impact both businesses.

What happens next

Roots Contractors Limited and Diacutt Limited must settle their fines and court costs immediately. The HSE is expected to increase targeted, unannounced site inspections focusing specifically on temporary works and structural stability over the coming months. Contractors should urgently review their active sites to ensure all bespoke wooden structures have approved designs on file and are subject to weekly checks.

Sources

• HSE Media Centre — Health and Safety Executive