NEWS CARPENTER’S FALL FROM HEIGHT
LEADS TO PROSECUTION A Hitchin-based construction company has been sentenced after a carpenter sustained nerve and tissue damage to his lower back after a fall from height.
The employee was working for and under the control of MP Building Limited on 2 May 2017, Luton Magistrates’ Court heard. He climbed up to remove a nail from a brace holding trusses, one of which started to fall causing the employee to fall with it. Raised safety decking used as fall mitigation within the building did not cover the whole area and left significant gaps.
The 36-year-old carpenter sustained nerve and tissue damage to his lower back, whiplash to neck and his little finger was ripped open.
An investigation by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the risk assessments of MP Building
RECYCLING BUSINESS FINED £1.3M AFTER
EMPLOYEE AMPUTATION A waste recycling company has been charged after an employee lost part of his arm in a conveyor belt.
On 26 April 2015 the employee of Mid-UK Recycling Ltd was working as a line operator in the building known as Unit 4 MRF (Material Recovery Facility), Lincoln Crown Court heard. On the morning of the incident, blockages had occurred on this line and waste had become wrapped around the axle stopping a lower conveyor.
It was whilst removing waste from this axle that the employee’s glove got dragged into the in-running nip between the belt and the powered roller of the conveyor. This resulted in his left arm being amputated above the elbow.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive revealed that the company had failed to prevent access to dangerous parts of
Limited were generic. They identified falls from height, but control measures focused on scaffolding and did not mention internal falls and decking. It was also found that operatives on the site were not trained to install the safety decking.
MP Building Limited of Bilton Road, Hitchin pleaded guilty to contravening Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 and Regulation 13(1) of Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015. The company has been fined £65,000 and ordered to pay £6,298.82 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE inspector Jenny Morris said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by planning work at height to ensure that suitable and sufficient measures were in place to prevent falls.
“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Further guidance to doing it the right way can be found at:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/work-at-height/ key-messages.htm
the conveyor. The castell key system had essentially been bypassed allowing the system to be operated in automatic mode with persons still inside the enclosure.
Mid UK Recycling Limited (now known as MUKR Limited) of Summit House, Quarrington, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, NG34 8RS pleaded guilty to a breach of section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act (1974) and was fined £1.275m and ordered to pay costs of £45,065.59
HM inspector Scott Wynne, said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided had the company ensured that the system designed to keep people away from dangerous machinery was properly maintained. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
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