HSE

A Lancashire based company Spectral Colours Limited (SCL) has been fined after a worker was crushed under machinery.

Manchester Crown Court heard how the 57-year old employee of SCL was cleaning the dispersion mixing machine at the company’s premises in Crawford Street, Manchester on 30 April 2014. The worker sat on one of the clamping arms when it suddenly toppled over and pinned the worker’s leg underneath the machine.

The employee suffered a fractured ankle and serious crush injuries to his foot.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company failed to properly secure the machinery on site to the ground, increasing the risk of the machinery toppling over and injuring employees.

Spectral Colours Limited of Crawford Street, Rochdale, Lancashire has today pleaded guilty of breaching Regulation 20 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.

The company has been fined £3000 and ordered to pay costs of £22,444.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Tim Beaumont said: “This case highlights the need for all duty holders to ensure all machinery in their workplaces are properly fixed and maintained to the required safety standard.

“If Spectral Colours had been more thorough in ensuring that the installation of the machinery was completed properly then this accident wouldn’t have happened.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk

2.More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk

3.HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

Two London based construction contractors, Sager Construction Limited (SCL) and Shaun Dixon Services Ltd (SDSL) have today been fined after an employee fell more than three metres when a scaffold board that he was standing on broke.

Southwark Crown Court heard SCL had been appointed the principal contractor for the construction of a shopping centre and residential units in Studd Street London. On the 19 February 2015 the 64-year old employee of formwork contractor SDSL was working to install a primary beam in the basement when he fell from the top work platform.

The worker suffered fractures to both of his feet and deep cuts to his head and arms as a result of this fall from height.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that workers were allowed to work off scaffold boards which were in a poor condition. It was also found that the companies involved tolerated particularly poor practices in relation to work at height while erecting the formwork.

Sager Construction Limited of Sager House, 50 Seymour Street, London, W1H 7JG pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 22 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007, and has been fined £34,000 and ordered to pay costs of £6,577.

Shaun Dixon Services Ltd of Warwick House, 116 Palmerston Road, Buckhurst Hill, Essex, IG9 5LQ was found guilty of breaching Regulation 13 of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007 at an earlier date.

The company has since entered liquidation and has been fined £160,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,119.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Gabriella Dimitrov said: “The worker is lucky to have not sustained more serious injuries as a result of this fall from height.

It is entirely foreseeable that accidents will occur where work at height is being carried out without suitable work platforms and other measures to prevent workers from falling. HSE will take action to ensure that duty holders are held to account for any failings.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

A North East based contractor Pyeroy Ltd has been fined due to failings in their work at height rescue planning.

Plymouth Magistrates Court heard that on 21 October 2013 Mr Keith Stevens, aged 57, was helping to dismantle temporary roofing at Devonport Naval Base using a mobile elevated work platform (MEWP). His colleagues found him trapped between a roof beam and the controls of the MEWP. There was a delay in Mr Stevens being lowered to ground.  Mr Stevens died of a pre-existing heart condition.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Pyeroy had not properly planned the work on a MEWP in restricted overhead areas. It was also found that other Pyeroy employees had not received suitable training in the emergency lowering procedure of the elevated platforms and no practice drills had been carried out.

Pyeroy Ltd of St Omers Road, Western Riverside Route, Gateshead has pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 (1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company has today been fined £130,000 and ordered to pay costs of £14,388.36.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Helena Allum said: “If Pyeroy had trained other employees to use the mobile elevated work platform in emergency situations, Mr Stevens would have been lowered to the ground more swiftly.”

“This case highlights the need for duty holders to properly plan all work at height beforehand, including emergency planning and rescue situations.”

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk^[1]
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/ ^[2]
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk