Meldrum Construction Services (MCS) was the principle contractor for the refurbishment work at premises in Percy Street, Newcastle upon Tyne.
On 6 July 2015, a worker stepped on to a temporary wooden platform on the first floor riser. The platform collapsed and the worker fell 4.5 m, spraining both his ankles.
MCS did not properly plan and manage the construction phase of the project, the Health and Safety Executive found, because it failed to manage the temporary works in the service riser. The executive said the riser platforms were installed to specifications they had not been designed for.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, under which the principle contractor must ensure all construction work is carried out without risks to health or safety, fined £120,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,969.