Month: October 2016

A waste equipment maintenance firm in Buckinghamshire has been fined after a worker suffered serious head injuries when a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) overturned.

Incident

At the time of the incident on 19th January 2015, Geoffrey Hatton, 49, from County Durham, was in the process of deconstructing a compactor at a site in Wilmslow, Cheshire.

A Court heard that Mr Hatton, who was in the MEWP, and a colleague, were dismantling large pieces of cladding from the frame of a compactor. The machine toppled over when a large piece of the cladding came into contact with the MEWP.

Injuries

Mr Hatton fractured his skull and two ribs in the incident and spent two months in hospital.

Investigation

The HSE (Health and Safety Executive) carried out an investigation finding serious safety failings by Cole Mechanical Services Ltd. The MEWP in question was only suitable for internal work, however at the time of the incident it was being used outside.

The employees at the firm were not trained in how to use MEWPS or how to safely erect tower scaffolding and no risk assessment had been conducted for the work being carried out. Furthermore it was found that during the time of the incident another worker was working on a fragile roof with no protection to prevent falls.

Sentencing

Cole Mechanical Services Ltd of Ashbridge Road, Chesham, Buckinghamshire pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1)of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,995.

Accidents at work – expert advice

Accident at work compensation may be available if you have been injured in an accident at work that was not your fault. Your accident at work compensation claim could also include any instance of illness linked to your past or present working conditions. More information can be found via our ‘Accidents at Work’ page.

To begin your accident at work claim, contact us today. Remember, we offer you a FREE no obligation-consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

A worker was struck by a concrete skip at a construction site in South London, leading to the site manager and a self-employed worker being fined for safety failings.

Incident & Injuries

27-year-old Ryan Musgrave told Woolwich Crown Court how he suffered a badly broken left leg, as well as fractures to his right ankle and several ribs during the incident at the Harris Academy in Welling, on 23rd February 2012.

The court heard how a 215kg empty concrete skip detached from an excavator, falling onto Mr Musgrave and leaving him to be unable to work for 17 months.

Investigation

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation into the incident and found there was no thorough examination certificate for the shackle on the excavator. The HSE investigation also found the shackle was faulty.

Sentencing

Site manager Christopher Crowley, of Dominion Drive, Collier Row in London was fined £1,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,500, after admitting breaching Regulation 9(1)( a) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

Michael Kernan, the self-employed construction worker of CYC Coastal Club was fined £1,500 and ordered to pay costs of £2,000, after breaching Regulation 8(1) (c) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998.

Speaking after the case HSE inspector Melvyn Stancliffe said:

“Mr Crowley should have taken the shackle on the excavator out of use when he inspected it two days before the incident as he had not seen a thorough examination report for it.

“The law is clear that lifting accessories must not be used unless they have been thoroughly examined in the previous six months and that there is a report available to prove that.

“Mr Kernan, an experienced construction worker, accepted that he did not fully screw in the pin on the shackle as he should have done and as a result it failed.

“Lifting accessories are not complex items but if they are not used properly or are not thoroughly examined periodically then the consequences can be serious. The practice known as ‘backing off’, unwinding the pin by a quarter of a turn, is not safe and shouldn’t be used.

“This case highlights the importance of ensuring simple checks are carried out properly and that equipment is used correctly”.

Accidents at work – expert advice

Accident at work compensation may be available if you have been injured in an accident at work that was not your fault. Your accident at work compensation claim could also include any instance of illness linked to your past or present working conditions. More information can be found via our ‘Accidents at Work’ page.

To begin your accident at work claim, contact us today. Remember, we offer you a FREE no obligation-consultation. Call 0800 888 6 888 or email .

Source: Health & Safety Executive

A metal company based in Bedfordshire has been fined following an accident at work incident in which an employee lost his foot.

Incident

Luke Simpson, an agency worker for Smiths Metal Centres Limited, suffered severe injuries to his leg when a trolley carrying a bundle of 18 stainless steel bars, weighing about 900kg, fell onto his legs.

At the time of the incident, Mr Simpson and a colleague were moving the four wheeled trolley when it tipped over. The metal stock fell from the top of the trolley and landed on Mr Simpson, trapping his leg and foot. An ambulance was called to the scene and he was taken to hospital.

Luton Magistrates’ Court heard that the metal trolleys had been used on site for around 20 years without an incident occurring.

During the incident Mr Simpson broke his right leg and his right foot was severely crushed. The 24 year old underwent numerous surgeries following the incident, but unfortunately his foot could not be saved and required amputation. He now has a prosthetic foot and after being unable to work for a number of months, he now can only work on a part time basis.

HSE Investigation

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Smiths had originally bought the trolleys to be used as work stations; however staff had taken it upon themselves to use them to move metal stock.

Inspectors found that there was no written system of work in place for the trolleys at the time of the incident.
Furthermore, during the HSE investigation it was found that the trolley in question had faulty wheels – there was no record of any maintenance being carried out on any of the trolleys.

After the accident the trolley was given a safe working load of 500kg, over half the weight of the load on the trolley at the time of the incident.

Sentencing

After pleading guilty to Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, Smiths Metal Centres Limited of Stratton Business Park, Bedfordshire was fined £130,000. The company was also ordered to pay costs of £2,456.40 and a victim surcharge of £120.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Emma Page said:

“Luke’s life has been drastically altered by what happened and this incident could have been very easily avoided with some very simple measures. The right equipment and a correct maintenance system would have prevented this from happening.”

Injury at Work – Expert Advice

If you have suffered an injury at work you could be entitled to personal injury compensation. Speak to one of our professional and friendly advisers today on 0800 888 6 888 or email .

Source: Health & Safety Executive