Construction firms fined after fatal accidents in UK and Australia

Lima Construction Limited was fined £50,000 after a 55‑year‑old labourer, Antonio Rodrigues, fell to his death through an unprotected window opening on a scaffold at a redevelopment site in New Malden, London. The Health and Safety Executive found that weekly scaffold inspections had not been carried out and that protective boarding was only installed after the incident.

AR Constructions in Perth was fined $1.75 million following the death of 59‑year‑old rigger Adrian Farina Pacheco, who was struck by a steel column that fell when a non‑compliant lifting device failed. The court noted the company continued using the defective equipment despite knowing it was not rated or inspected, leading to the company’s liquidation.

Both cases highlight serious breaches of workplace safety regulations and resulted in record fines for the respective construction firms.