Events company fined £161k after worker injured by a forklift
An events company that also manufactures event materials such as exhibition stands and installations has been fined £161k after an employee was seriously injured during an on-site operation at Woodcorner Farm, Coventry.
A work crew from the company had sought to move a 4.2m wide park home chassis through a 3.9m door opening with the aid of two forklifts. When the attempt failed, workers began to push down on one side to angle it through the entryway. The chassis slipped off the fork of the truck and struck one of the employees on the shoulder.
The employee was thrown back by the impact and hit a wall 2m away. The force was so great he was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken collarbone.
An investigation carried out by the HSE found that managers had failed to adequately plan the operation and conduct a risk assessment of the dangers.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were ordered to pay a £161,000 fine and £1,345 in additional costs.
HSE inspector Christopher Maher, who oversaw the case said: ‘Those in control of work have a responsibility to devise safe methods of working and to provide the necessary information, instruction and training to their workers in the safe system of working’.
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Construction company fined £1m and employee sentenced for 6 months
A construction company and one of its employees have been sentenced after another worker was fatally injured during an operation at a construction site in Stratford.
An excavator, operated by the on-site supervisor, struck the worker as he disconnected lifting accessories from a metal pile and pushed him against a concrete wall, where he suffered from fatal crushing injuries. Another worker standing nearby was able to escape.
An investigation by the HSE found that the construction company failed to assess risks and failed to take the safety of its employees into account.
Both the construction company and the site supervisor pleaded not guilty to breaching the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. The construction company was fined £1,000,000 and ordered to pay costs of £108,502. The employee received a 6-month custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months and ordered to pay costs of £15,000.
Lead HSE inspector Darren Alldis said: ‘This death was wholly preventable and serves as a reminder as to why it is so important for companies and individuals to take their responsibilities to protect others seriously and to take the simple actions necessary to eliminate and minimise risks’.
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Manufacturing company sentenced after worker injured by machinery
A manufacturing company based in Oldham has received a sentence after a 34-year-old agency worker suffered severe injuries to her hand.
The staff member was only on her second shift with the company when she attempted to remove a blockage from a filling machine. Her hand came in to contact with an open rotating fan, causing her to lose sections of her fingers on her right hand.
Skin grafts taken to repair some of the damage proved unsuccessful, leaving the victim with additional scarring on her stomach. A subsequent health report confirmed that the worker suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of the incident and has been unable to return to work.
An investigation by the HSE found a number of major failures in the companies operations and procedures. They found that appropriate risk assessments and equipment checks were not carried out and that the fan lacked any proper guarding.
They concluded that the company had also failed to provide first aid training to its workers or have first aid provision immediately available.
The manufacturing company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 3(2) of the Health and Safety (First Aid) Regulations 1981. The company was fined £28,000 and were ordered to pay additional costs of £7,771.