Firm fined £40,000 over crushed worker
Page 17
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
Spectra Scaffolding fined £40,000 after an employee, who is now paraplegic, was crushed by falling scaffolding tubes
By Roger Brown
SPECTRA SCAFFOLDING has been ined £40,000 after one of its employees was crushed by falling scaffolding tubes while using a lorry-mounted crane.
In a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecution, Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court was told how father of two David Collins, 31, from Bury, Lancashire, was unloading the 21ft-long scaffolding tubes from the back of a truck in November 2008 at Festival Park, Stokeon-Trent, where refurbishment to retail premises was being undertaken.
As Collins stood under the load operating the crane controls, one of the lifting slings detached from the crane hook, causing the metal tubes, which weighed nearly one and a half tonnes, to fall onto him. He suffered severe injuries to his head, back and leg and is now paraplegic. The HSE investigation found Collins had not been properly trained or supervised and that Bury-based Spectra had failed to plan the work adequately.
A safety catch on the crane hook was faulty, which led to the scaffolding tubes falling, the court heard.
Although the company had known about this for some time before the incident, no action was taken to replace the catch and Collins had not been trained to realise its importance.
Spectra pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, which states that every employer must ensure that every operation involving lifting equipment is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner.
The company also pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, which says every employer should ensure that work equipment is maintained in an eficient state, in eficient working order and in good repair.
Spectra Scaffolding was ordered to pay £45,000 costs.
Lindsay Hope, HSE inspector, says: “As a result of this incident, Mr Collins has been severely disabled and could easily have been killed.
“Companies that operate lorrymounted cranes must ensure their operators undertake appropriate, recognised training in all aspects.
“Operators of lorry-mounted cranes must be competent to use the equipment properly and plan safe lifting in variable site conditions,” she continued.
“In this instance, the lift wasn’t properly planned or supervised and Mr Collins hadn’t been suficiently trained in how to use the crane and slings properly. Furthermore, the equipment had not been properly maintained and should never have been used.”
Plan properly
Hauliers must ensure that every lifting operation is properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised, and carried out in a safe manner. All work equipment should be in efficient working order and in good repair.