Splott church death: Scaffolder died after 'bosses ignored risks'

Managers paid "lip service" to risk assessments before a scaffolder was killed when a derelict church collapsed, a court has heard.

The body of Jeff Plevey, 56, was recovered from rubble at Citadel Church in Splott, Cardiff, in July 2017.

The directors of Young Contractors and Swain Scaffolding Ltd are accused of gross negligence manslaughter.

Keith Young, 72, of Llandough, and Stewart Swain, 53, from Whitchurch, both deny the charges.

Developer Mark Gulley, from Penarth, whose company Amos Projects owned the church, is accused of health and safety offences along with Richard Lyons, a partner of Bristol-based Optima Scaffold Design Solutions Ltd.

Andrew Langdon QC, prosecuting, described to the court how scaffolding works were planned around the church in the months leading up to the accident.

Mr Langdon said a risk assessment prepared in March 2017 was "generic" and "not site-specific," adding it had failed to account for the risk of an imminent collapse of the rear wall of the church.

"This is lip service," Mr Langdon told Swansea Civic Centre.

"It isn't anyone thinking about the risk here."

He said that a Construction Phase Plan (CPP) document prepared by Mr Young's company had called for a further structural survey of the wall to be commissioned and a temporary works coordinator to be appointed for the project.

The survey was not carried out and there was no evidence that a coordinator had been appointed, said Mr Langdon, despite the warnings the wall was extremely dangerous and an "uncontrolled collapse was possible".

The prosecutor said it was "plain" Mr Young and a colleague at the demolition firm, Phil Thomas, did not understand the nature of the scaffolding planned.

The CPP incorrectly stated the scaffolding had been designed to contain the structure if it collapsed, said Mr Langdon.

"This needed the input of a structural engineer from the start. Mr Young and Mr Gulley should have known that," he added.

The trial continues.