Ballymena-based 7 Towers Scaffolding fined £20,000 following death of employee Samuel Magill, 60
Samuel Magill who sadly died following injuries sustained in a work-place injury
Thursday 22 October 2026
A Co Antrim scaffolding company has been fined £20,000 after a 60-year-old employee died from injuries sustained when a metal scaffolding board fell approximately eight metres and struck him on the head at a Belfast construction site.
Samuel Magill, an employee of 7 Towers Scaffolding Ltd, was seriously injured while collecting dismantled scaffolding components from a site on the Lisburn Road on 18 December 2024.
He was taken to hospital by ambulance following the incident but died on 5 February 2025, almost seven weeks later.
The company, based in the Ballymena area, had previously pleaded guilty to a single health and safety offence and was fined £20,000 at Laganside Crown Court on Thursday (22 October).
How the fatal incident happened
At the time of the incident, a team of 7 Towers Scaffolding employees was dismantling scaffolding at the construction site.
During the work, a metal scaffolding board measuring approximately 2.4 metres in length became dislodged from the upper section of the structure and fell around eight metres.
The board struck Mr Magill on the head, causing serious injuries. Paramedics attended the scene before he was transferred to hospital, where he remained until his death.
Investigation identified safety failures
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) found that the company had failed to adequately manage and control the exclusion zone surrounding the scaffolding during dismantling.
Investigators established that Mr Magill was working as a collection driver and had arrived at the site to collect scaffolding components that had already been removed.
He had parked his vehicle on the pavement directly outside the construction site before proceeding towards the site on foot.
He was struck by the falling board at the edge of the site's exclusion zone, which was adjacent to the public pavement.
HSENI found that adequate measures had not been put in place to prevent people who were not directly involved in dismantling the scaffolding from approaching the hazardous area.
Inspector says tragedy was entirely preventable
Speaking following the court hearing, HSENI Major Investigation Team Inspector Kevin Campbell said:
“This tragic incident was entirely preventable. Samuel Magill suffered serious injuries as a result of being struck by a metal scaffolding board that fell in an uncontrolled manner.”
He stressed that employers must have effective procedures to prevent scaffolding components falling during dismantling operations.
“All employers must ensure that they have robust procedures to ensure that equipment and components are lowered to the ground in a controlled method. Clear work instructions must be communicated effectively to all the relevant personnel involved in the activity.
“It is vital, where there is a possibility that that items may fall unintentionally, that there is a clear identified exclusion zone, with appropriate measures to prevent unauthorised persons entering this area.”
Company fined under health and safety legislation
7 Towers Scaffolding Ltd was fined £20,000 for breaching Article 4(1) of the Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978.
Prosecutors from the Public Prosecution Service's Fraud and Departmental Section worked alongside HSENI investigators to bring the case before the court.
The case highlights the potentially fatal consequences of inadequate safety controls during scaffolding dismantling, particularly where work is taking place close to areas accessible to drivers, other workers and pedestrians.
Employers and construction workers can access official guidance on scaffolding safety and the management of construction risks through the Health and Safety Executive's publication, Health and Safety in Construction (HSG150), at www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/hsg150.htm.
