£8k fine after worker loses leg
An engineering company has been fined after a worker lost his leg from the knee down after being hit by a forklift truck.
West Hampshire Magistrates’ Court was told how a Puma Engineering and Construction Limited employee was seriously injured whilst carrying out a lifting operation involving the transporting and loading of pipe spools onto a flatbed truck. A forklift truck he was acting as banksman for, drove into the back of his left heel. His left leg had to be amputated.
The HSE’s investigation into the incident, which occurred on 16 November 2016, found the company had failed to properly plan, organise and carry out the lifting operation in a safe manner.
Puma Engineering and Construction Limited of Westwood Business Park, Brunel Road, Southampton pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and has been fined £8,000 and ordered to pay full costs of £3,781.04
Proper planning required
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Andrew Johnson said: “All lifts must be properly planned, assessed and carried out in a safe manner.
“There were other safer, reasonably practicable options that the company could have taken to prevent the forklift coming into contact with the individual. The safest method in this instance was to use tag lines or push sticks to control the load, as opposed to controlling the load by hand.”
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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.
£8k fine after worker loses leg
An engineering company has been fined after a worker lost his leg from the knee down after being hit by a forklift truck.
Alison Fava
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