A member of the public was injured while waiting for a bus near a construction site. The woman was seriously hurt when a piece of machinery which was being lifted on to the 5th floor of an office block fell onto her. She was left with many broken bones as well as cuts and swelling to her head. After the incident she spent eight days in hospital and her life has been severely affected by her injuries.
The company, Concentra Ltd was investigated after the incident by the Health and Safety Executive. They found that the crane which was being used to lift objects, including the machinery, was not in adequate order for the jobs it was being used for. The sling was incorrectly fitted and this caused the machinery to fall out of the sling and hit the woman below.
£20,000 Fine for Failing to Protect Employees
Health inspector Bose Ogunsekan said that the company was prosecuted because they were unable to manage the safety of persons who were affected by their activities. A crane is a high risk activity and before any work commenced using the crane there should have been a risk assessment carried out. This would have highlighted the dangers and a safe method of work could have been created, severely reducing the risks to employees and the public.
The HSE prosecuted Concentra Ltd who was fined £20,000 with an additional £21,000 added in court costs. The firm admitted they had breached section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. This regulation states that it is the duty of employers to ensure that their employees are not exposed to risks concerning their health and safety.
If you are looking to comply with the law, health and safety training your employees is a great place to start. You can find courses that will provide skills concerning creating risk assessments such as the SSSTS two or five day training courses. The importance of risk assessments, how to carry them out and use them to create safe methods of work is covered on these courses and they are ideal for anyone working in the construction industry.