A vehicle recovery and repair company has been sentenced after a new worker suffered fatal crush injuries during maintenance work, only hours after he’d started his new job.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard that on 24 November 2014, Albert Road Recovery and Repair Limited employee John Glenn was fatally injured when a rigid vehicle fell suddenly from an inadequate axle support prop at Siskin Parkway East, Middlemarch Business Park, Coventry.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that a cable reel drum jack was used to support the vehicle, which was not an appropriate piece of equipment for the task being undertaken.

Now dissolved, Albert Road Recovery and Repair Limited of Warley Hill Business Park, Brentwood, Essex was found guilty of breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £20,000, the highest amount available to this court.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector John Glynn said: “This incident led to the tragic death of John Glenn and occurred within hours of him starting his new job. It was completely avoidable.

“Not only did the company fail to adequately induct the new starter into their business, it failed to adequately instruct and supervise him on his first day and provided him with completely unsuitable tools and equipment. Had the company considered the risks properly, they would have had safe systems of work and approved vehicle repair equipment in place.”

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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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An architectural metalwork company has been fined after an employee suffered a serious hand injury on a pedestal drill.

Nottingham Magistrates’ Court heard that on 21 August 2018, an employee, who was an apprentice, at Viking Engineering (Architectural Metalwork) Ltd, suffered an amputation injury to his right-hand middle finger whilst operating a pedestal drill at the company site in Basford, Nottingham. His gloved right hand became entangled on the rotating spade drill bit of the drilling machine resulting in his injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that employees were required, by the company’s written system of work, to wear gloves when operating the drill. It had become custom and practice to leave the drill running while repositioning workpieces, which is when the incident occurred.

Viking engineering (Architectural Metalwork) Ltd of Park Lane, Basford, Nottingham, were found guilty of breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined, in its absence, £78,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,914.48 with a victim surcharge charge of £170.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Mr Amandip Dhanda said: “Taking simple measures, and monitoring systems of work, could have easily prevented this serious accident”.

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. www.hse.gov.uk

1. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/

HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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A Lancashire coach company was fined after a father-of-three was fatally crushed while working underneath a double decker bus.

Chester Magistrates’ Court heard how on 14 June 2017, Wayne Lannon, a 46-year-old employee of Brian Finch, trading as F E Coaches, was carrying out repairs under a double decker bus in the car park of Chester Zoo. The bus had been supported by a hydraulic bottle jack and Mr Lannon had placed some wooden blocks underneath the stationary bus. The bus rolled backwards off the bottle jack, trapping Mr Lannon under the bus resulting in him sustaining fatal injuries. Wayne is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company did not have a safe system of work in place for preventing the bus from moving. The bus parking break had not been applied before Mr Lannon went under the bus and the bus was not chocked to prevent it from rolling off the jack. Brian Finch also failed to provide training and instructions to Mr Lannon in mechanical work or safe lifting of vehicles, and about the type of repairs that were suitable to be made outside of the workshop.

Brian Finch T/A F E Finch Coaches, of Moat House Street, Ince, Wigan, pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was sentenced to six months custody, suspended for 18 months, and subject to a curfew (between the hours of 7pm-8am) for 30 months, with full costs of £9,381.

In a family statement, Wayne’s sister Keeley Unsworth, described how the loss of Wayne had left his family and friends with ‘shattered hearts’.

Keeley said: “Our brother was the greatest person. He was the perfect brother…, Wayne always believed in speaking kindly, always believed in helping others’.

“We are deeply saddened…his children will never feel or hear him again…we have no idea how we carry on, how we cope, how we live with the pain we are in”

HSE inspector Lianne Farrington said after the hearing: “This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of Mr Finch to ensure there were adequate control measures in place, such as chocking the bus, and to implement safe systems of work. Had the company ensured that proper control measures were in place, Mr Lannon would not have lost his life.”

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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. More information on carrying out repairs safely under vehicles can be found at http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/mechanical-repair/under-vehicles.htm and http://www.hse.gov.uk/mvr/roadside-repair/buses.htm
4. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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Construction company LJM Building Services Ltd was sentenced for safety breaches after a teenage worker fell three metres to the ground.

Grimsby Magistrates’ Court heard that on 8 May 2019, the 18-year-old worker and another colleague were installing a block and beam floor by lifting large concrete beams from a telehandler and placing them onto the first-floor steels at the construction site on Manby Rd, South Killingholme, Immingham. Whilst manoeuvring the large, heavy beams the worker slipped and fell to the ground sustaining a fractured pelvis and bruising.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the workers had not been provided with any instructions as to how to carry out this work safely. No scaffolding or other work platform had been provided on site to allow them to access first floor height. The workers therefore used some scaffold boards laid across the first-floor steels in order to provide a makeshift work platform to carry out this work. The scaffold boards were not secured in place and did not fill the necessary area. There was therefore a drop of around three metres down to the ground on all sides of the boards. Instead, a temporary crash deck or ‘birdcage scaffold’ should have been in place to provide a safe and stable work platform which did not have open edges.

LJM Building Services Ltd of Victoria Road, Barnetby pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 4 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The company has been fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £1,314 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Jennifer Elsgood commented: “LJM Building Services Ltd did not have an established safe system of work, meaning that the workers had to devise their own system using the limited resources available.

“Falls from height often result in life-changing or fatal injuries. In most cases, these incidents are needless and could be prevented by properly planning the work to ensure that effective preventative and protective measures are in place.

“Appropriate supervision of the work by the company would also have prevented this unsafe system of work from being adopted.”

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.gov.uk
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

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A manufacturer of prepared bird feed has been prosecuted after an employee suffered life changing injuries when his hand was trapped in an unguarded rotary valve

Cannock Magistrates’ Court heard that on 25 July 2017, a production operative had to have three fingers amputated after sustaining injuries at C J Wildbird Foods Ltd while operating a mixing extraction unit at the company’s site in Upton Magna, Shrewsbury. The employee had been in the process of levelling out the waste dust that collected in a large bag located underneath a rotary valve on the mixing plant. He lost his balance and began to fall backwards into the bag. As he tried to steady himself, he used his right hand to reach out and grab something. In doing so he unintentionally brought his right hand into contact with the dangerous moving parts of the rotary valve, causing his hand to be jammed.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found there had previously been a guard preventing access, to the dangerous parts of the rotary valve but that this had fallen off over time and not been replaced. The mixing extraction unit had originally been purchased second hand and no suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks arising from the use of this machine had ever been made prior to it being used, so the company failed to identify the risks from the dangerous parts.

C J Wildbird Foods Ltd, of The Rea, Upton Magna, Shrewsbury pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Provision of Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined £50,000 and ordered to pay costs of £5,508.61.

HSE inspector Andrew Johnson said after the hearing: “This was an easily preventable incident which has had life changing consequences. It reminds us why there are long established and straightforward regulations requiring dutyholders who procure and use their work equipment to assess the risks and identify and put in place effective measures to prevent access to any dangerous moving parts”.

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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk

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