Scaffolding Fire Engines & Slander

Scaffolding Fire Engines & Slander

On Friday 8th Feb 2008 I was scheduled to deliver Leaderflush doors to The Royal Free Hospital Hampstead. I was surprised that I was taking it with a 40 foot trailer and Moffet because on previous deliveries I had taken a 20 foot trailer and offloaded by hand. I telephoned the site on the Thursday to enquire whether a Moffett was required. I knew the delivery area and how little space there was there and wondered whether a Moffett was practical.

I was told that following the Royal Marsdon Hospital fire there had been frequent fire drills and that the off loading area was a designated area for fire engines. Lorries in the unloading area were staying too long and getting in the way. A Moffett would be quicker unloading. I knew there was not much space there so I enquired where I would put the doors when I had unloaded them. I knew that the doors had to be carried up onto scaffolding to a lift. I was informed that everything would be alright and that the decided course of action would not be altered.

I arrived at the site at exactly 10.00 am. The first person I saw was a security guard. We nodded at each other but I did not stop to speak to him as I drove past him neither did he speak to me or signal me to stop. I did not see him again for the duration I was at the site. The unloading area is a designated fire engine bay.

As I was reversing back into it I caught a small flight of approximately 8 scaffold steps which were in the fire engine bay. I caught them with the rear offside of the trailer which I was unable to see from my driver's seat. When I got out I noticed that a scaffold bar was sticking out beyond (approximately 1 foot) the edge of the steps and there was no warning tape on it. This was what caught the trailer and tore the curtain.

There was a team (approximately 4) of scaffolders on site. They dismantled the steps which took approx. 5 minutes.

They then rebuilt the steps differently so that they did not stick so far out into the fire engine bay. They spent about 2 hours (the duration of my visit) rebuilding the steps.

My opinion - The steps could have been re erected much more quickly. There appeared to be a number of breaks and delays whilst doing the reconstruction work.

Whilst the scaffolders worked on the steps I opened the curtains of the trailer ready to unload.

I unloaded the large frames by hand with the assistance of two men from the building site. As we were unloading the frames two fire engines with their sirens going came down the road. I asked the man from the site whether I should move but I was told it would be OK because it was only a drill. The fire engines came past my lorry and exited another way.

At no time was I spoken to or did I speak to any member of the fire service.

The next task was to unload the doors with the Moffett.
As I got on the Moffett what appeared to be a Traffic Warden came by. He asked whether this was my lorry. I replied that it was. He said that was Ok, waved and walked on.

I proceeded to unload all the doors with the Moffett under the direction of a man from the building site. I was told where to place all the stacks of doors. I was told to put them on the road which included the fire engine bay.

When I had unloaded all the doors onto the road a man from the site came out from the hospital shouting that the doors could not be left on the road and that his job was at risk over the doors obstructing the road and fire engine bay. He told me I had to get my lorry out as soon as possible. He then told me I had been abusive. I enquired further as to what he meant. He said I had told the security guard to "Fuck off" I replied that I certainly had not. I was extremely upset and angry at this allegation. As stated earlier at no time did I speak to the security guard. The man from the site also told another man from the site that a Moffet was never to be used again and that the doors would have to be unloaded by hand. The problems that occurred were my original concern when I telephone the site the day before.

Another man signed my delivery note and adding that "doors not checked because there was not time because of damage done by lorry" This could not be true because as stated earlier when I telephoned the site the day before I was to leave the packs of doors on the road and leave as soon as possible. This would de facto mean that they would not all be checked whilst I was present. In fact I could have waited for the doors to be checked but was told to leave the site.

My opinion - The hospital and or the fire service complained to the site about my lorry being in the fire engine bay when the fire engines arrived (this had been anticipated when I called the previous day). I feel have been used as a “scape goat”.

Suggestion - If the hospital wants building work done things have to be delivered to site. If the only area available to use for unloading is a fire engine bay (which it is) I would suggest sense reason and pragmatism. As the fire drill proved; fire engines could still get access. If there is a real fire and more space is needed any lorries unloading can be moved. If the fire engine bay is never to be used for deliveries no more deliveries would be possible. In view of the way I was treated and spoken to I would be quite happy with that.

I was there in my capacity as a lorry driver delivering goods to a building site. I was on this occasion and always try to be obliging, polite and good humoured even when circumstances are difficult. I resent the way I was treated and spoken to at this site. In particular the false allegations about my conduct. The fact that the security guard did not appear to back up the allegation speaks for itself.

I do not deny I caught the scaffolding but this could have been avoided if

- it had not been built in the highway and fire engine bay and
- there had not been a pole sticking out.
- The pole had hazard marked or high visibility tape on it
- Someone had assisted me with reversing (most of the people mentioned above stood and watched with out helping or advising)