Lessons learned · HSE-2026-001
Poorly planned steel frame dismantling causes life-changing fall
A worker suffered multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg while dismantling a steel event structure. The contractor and a director were prosecuted after HSE found the work had not been properly planned or safely carried out.
Published by the Institute · reviewed
What happened
A worker was dismantling a steel-framed event structure when he fell, sustaining life-changing injuries including multiple back fractures, a punctured lung and a broken leg. The structure formed part of a temporary event installation being taken down after use.
HSE's investigation found that the dismantling operation had not been properly planned, and that safe systems of work were not in place to prevent falls or manage the sequence of dismantling. There was no evidence of an adequate method statement addressing how the frame would be taken down safely, nor suitable measures to protect workers from height risks during the process. The contractor and a director were prosecuted for failures in managing the work.
This incident highlights that temporary and event structures carry the same dismantling risks as permanent buildings, and that sequence planning, height protection and supervision must be given equal weight regardless of the structure's temporary nature.
Contributing factors
- No adequate method statement
- Inadequate fall protection
- Poor sequencing of dismantling
- Lack of supervision
What to take from it
- Produce a written dismantling method statement covering sequence, stability and fall prevention before work starts
- Assess fall risks for all dismantling operations, including temporary and event structures
- Provide suitable edge protection, fall arrest or safe access equipment where height risk exists
- Ensure supervisors verify the planned sequence is being followed on site
- Treat event and temporary structures with the same rigour as permanent building dismantling