A steel fabrication company has been fined £8,000 after two employees fell two metres from the forks of a telehandler.
The workers of Eagle Structural Ltd were dismantling an unwanted shipping container at Great Carlton, Lincolnshire on 7 October 2019.
They were working in an unsecured non-integrated working platform when it fell from the forks of a telehandler. One employee suffered a broken arm and fractured elbow and has been told that he will never regain a full range of movement in his arm. The second employee suffered internal bruising.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the non-integrated working platform was not compatible with the telehandler and that it had not been properly secured to prevent it falling.
Eagle Structural Ltd of Lordship Road, Great Carlton, Lincolnshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8(b)(i) of The Work at Height Regulations 2005. At Lincoln Magistrates’ Court on July 1 2022, the company was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,497.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Tim Nicholson said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”
Notes to Editors:
1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We prevent work-related death, injury and ill health through regulatory actions that range from influencing behaviours across whole industry sectors through to targeted interventions on individual businesses. These activities are supported by globally recognised scientific expertise. HSE: Information about health and safety at work
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: Legislation.gov.uk
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk
4. Guidance about working from height is available here: Work at height – HSE