Council and democracy

Businesses warned over falling signs

The council was called in to investigate following the accident in Croydon's busy Surrey Street market in May this year.

Its health and safety team concluded that it was caused by a combination of strong winds and a poorly fixed 'to let' sign.

They found nails sticking out of the 3ft by 4ft v-shaped board and its wooden fixing battens, which luckily had not caused a more serious injury. The man suffered cuts and bruises to his back and neck after the sign narrowly missed his head.

The investigation revealed that there are no national regulatory or statutory requirements or codes of practice in place for the safe erection of advertising boards.

The boards are secured by six-inch nails hammered into wooden battens, which are nailed onto building walls. In order that the boards can be quickly and easily removed, the nails are often hammered into the battens up to just three inches deep, increasing the likelihood of signs blowing off buildings in strong winds.

Councillor Steve O'Connell, cabinet member for safety and cohesion, said: "Our findings were quite disturbing, to say the least. This unfortunate gentleman was lucky he wasn't more seriously injured.

"Following this investigation we will be reminding businesses in Croydon about their statutory duty of care towards members of the public and urging them to take adequate control measures with the signage fixers to reduce risk of injury. This will help ensure that the advertising boards are erected in a safe and competent manner."