03.01.2012

Fatal scaffold fall

A man has fallen to his death from a scaffold at a construction site in Kuching,(previously Sarawak), Malaysia.

Abdillah Seli, 42, fell from the second storey of the façade scaffold while fitting aluminium window frames. According to a colleague, working with him, the wooden platform Seli was standing on suddenly gave way causing him to fall to the ground.
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Paramedics rescue the fallen man

An ambulance was called immediately and the paramedics attempted to resuscitate him on route to the hospital with no avail. He was pronounced dead upon his arrival.

Vertikal Comment

We have only a few basic details on this incident, but it is quite clear form the photographs that the scaffold meets few, if any, of the basic safety rules for such structures. The planks being used for platforms are loose, with many of them not in good condition. There appears to be no proper form of access to the working levels and no toe-boards.

It is hardly surprising that there has been a fatality, had we received this photograph before the incident, it would have qualified for a Death Wish, rather than an accident report. It is sad to say that a family is possibly now without a ‘breadwinner’ while workmates are traumatised and hopefully a developer and contractor are looking at stiff fines and possibly a jail sentence.