CASE TWO
Page 16
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Firm fined for worker’s fractured skull
SUFFOLK HAULIER Tannington Transport has been fined £6,000 after one of its workers suffered a fractured skull as he tried to recover a 17-tonne abandoned excavator.
In a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution, Ipswich Magistrates’ Court was told how in September 2011 experienced fitter Paul Collins, 51, was struck on the head by a heavy-duty vehicle jack when it popped out of position.
Collins was one of a team of three employees ordered by the firm to recover the old excavator that had been lying for years in a hedgerow in the small village of Chelmondiston, Suffolk.
The three workers located the machine in fields but most of its tyres were flat and sunken into the ground, wedging it firmly in place.
They decided to raise it using bottle jacks and to then place metal sheets under the wheels to make it easier to tow.
However, during the lifting operation, one of the jacks popped out under considerable force, hitting Collins on the side of the head. He was taken to hospital and later diagnosed with a fractured skull.
He has since made a good recovery and was able to return to work 10 weeks after the incident. The operator – which is based in Woodbridge and has an O-licence for 35 vehicles – pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was also ordered to pay £3,291 in costs.
Consider the risks
The court heard that the company had failed to consider the potential risks or provide a plan to help get the job done safely.