Badly-maintained crane overturned and crushed car

Appearing before Isle of Wight magistrates, Harold Hayles (Yarmouth IW) Ltd admitted two breaches of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 – reg.8(1)(a), for failing to properly plan the lifting operation; and reg.8(1)(c), for failing to ensure the lifting operation was carried out safely.

The firm accepted it had failed to ensure that the crane was maintained in an efficient state and was in good working order – a contravention of reg.5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998; and it also pleaded guilty to a breach of s2(1) of the HSWA 1974.

Sentenced on 28 March, the company was ordered to pay fines totalling £4000 – £1000 for each breach – plus the same amount in costs. The court took into consideration the company’s financial situation.

After the hearing, HSE inspector John Caboche said: “This was a serious incident that could have ended in tragedy had the crane toppled on to a person and not an empty car. It was wholly preventable and could have been avoided had the crane been better maintained, and had the lifting operation been better planned and managed. €

Approaches to managing the risks associated Musculoskeletal disorders

In this episode of the Safety & Health Podcast, we hear from Matt Birtles, Principal Ergonomics Consultant at HSE’s Science and Research Centre, about the different approaches to managing the risks associated with Musculoskeletal disorders.

Matt, an ergonomics and human factors expert, shares his thoughts on why MSDs are important, the various prevalent rates across the UK, what you can do within your own organisation and the Risk Management process surrounding MSD’s.

Listen now!