Accidents at work do still occur!

It is surprising that with all the safety requirements that are needed in the 21^st Century accidents at work do still occur, some very minor but some can be quite life changing.

We all live very busy lives and are under pressure to meet targets. However, nothing should prevent an Employer from carrying out a risk assessment -in order to try and prevent any accident from occurring.

An engineering company had been fined after an employee was badly injured when he was struck by a metal structure during a lifting process. A 46 year old worker sustained serious flesh wounds and a fractured arm in the incident. The company was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found the company had failed to ensure that the lifting operation was suitably planned, supervised or carried out safely. The Crown Court heard that the worker and a colleague were attempting to manoeuver a structure out of the premises using a fork lift truck. Whilst trying to raise the structure from its supporting trestles it twisted, and swung towards the worker, entering the cab of the fork lift truck and striking him. Importantly the company had not carried out a risk assessment and no formal training had been provided for the employees. The Company pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,670.

Melanie Neale a Personal Injury specialist at Hammersmith law firm Hubbard Pegman and Whitney (HPW) has had experience in dealing with cases involving Industrial Accidents and the devastating effects that it can cause to her clients. Melanie says ‘that it is surprising that these types of accidents are still occurring and it shows that the HSE are alert to these types of problems’.