Walsall metal finishing company fined after worker suffers multiple fractures

A metal finishing company has been fined after a worker suffered multiple fractures to her leg when a components trolley overturned.

Dudley Magistrates Court heard how the Anochrome Limited employee was undertaking a routine operation known as ‘jigging’, which involves loading and unloading metal parts onto a jig frame, when the trolley and jig frame overturned and landed on the injured person

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident, which occurred on 21 November 2016, found that there was a failure to assess risk, a failure to implement a safe system of work and a failure to ensure that employees were appropriately trained and monitored to ensure that the task could be carried out safely.

Anochrome Limited of Reservoir Place, Walsall pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 and was fined £24,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,775.72.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Mahesh Mahey said “If a suitable safe system of work has been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. We seek to 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