Driver seriously injured on first day at work
A distribution company has been sentenced after an agency worker sustained serious, life-changing injuries during his first day at work in Cheltenham.
On 18 May 2017, an agency worker arrived at a depot to start work as a multi-drop delivery driver. After receiving a brief induction, the first drop was delivered successfully but the second delivery had an incorrect address. As a result, 12 beer kegs scheduled for delivered were not dropped off.
On the third stop, the worker used a pallet truck to manoeuvre the beer on the lorry to access the next load on the list. During this manoeuvre the worker fell backwards and suffered serious injuries when several kegs of beer fell and struck him. Injuries included a traumatic brain injury and facial fractures requiring metal plates to be inserted into his skull.
An HSE investigation found that the worker had no previous experience in using the type of pallet truck or tail lift involved in the accident. No practical training had been given on the safe use of this machinery and safe working practices were not communicated to the agency worker.
Breach
H & M Distribution Limited pleaded guilty to breaching 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.
- Section 3(1) requires that employers conduct their activities in a manner to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons they do not employ are not exposed to risks to their health or safety.
Penalty
H & M Distribution Limited was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,203.14.
Fines for major construction company after fatality during infrastructure project
A contractor has been fined after an employee of Balfour Beatty Group Employment Limited was fatally injured when he was struck by a wheeled excavator. The incident occurred at the Third Don Crossing construction site in Aberdeen.
Between 4 and 13 January 2016 Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited, the principal contractor, was found to have failed to ensure an adequate safe system of work for refuelling of all plant and equipment was in place. As a consequence of this, on 13 January 2016 a worker was struck by a wheeled excavator which was slewing after being refuelled.
An HSE investigation found that refuelling of plant and equipment had been identified as a high-risk activity by the principal contractor. The principal contractor had introduced a task briefing detailing a safe system of work and had risk assessed the said activity. However, it is evident that although these procedures existed in documentary format the safe system of work and its control measures had not been fully implemented at the site.
Breach
Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 13(1) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015.
- Regulation 13(1) requires that principal contractors plan manage and monitor the construction phase and coordinate matters regarding health and safety during this phase to ensure that, so far as is reasonably practice, construction work is carried out without risks to health and safety.
Penalty
Balfour Beatty Civil Engineering Limited was fined £600,000.
Theme park operator in Leicestershire fined after employee suffers serious hand injuries
A company that operates Twinlakes Family Theme Park in Melton Mowbray has been fined after an employee suffered serious injuries while using a circular saw.
On 9 October 2017 a member of the park maintenance team was using a Wadkin circular saw. After cutting a piece of wood, he pressed the stop button and went round the saw to collect the cut pieces of wood. In reaching for the wood, his hand caught the saw blade, which was still rotating, severing his thumb and all four fingers on his right hand.
An HSE investigation found the company had failed to fit the saw with a brake to stop the blade safely after it was switched off. The investigation also found the company had not provided the employee with appropriate training in the use of the circular saw.
Breach
B B & B Leisure Parks Limited was found guilty of breaching Regulation 9(1) and Regulation 15(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998.
- Regulation 9(1) requires employers to ensure that all persons using work equipment have received adequate training for safety purposes, including training in methods that may be adopted when using the work equipment, any risks this may present and precautions to be taken.
- Regulation 15(1) requires employers to ensure that, where appropriate, work equipment is provided with one or more readily accessible controls to bring the work equipment to a safe condition in a safe manner.
Penalty
B B & B Leisure Parks Limited was fined £57,600 and ordered to pay costs of £1,874.80.
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