An engineering company has been fined after an employee suffered serious flesh wounds when he was injured during a lifting process.
The 46-year-old worker from Skelmersdale, West Lancashire, also fractured his arm in the incident on 30 June 2014.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Knowsley Engineering Services Ltd following an investigation that found the company had failed to ensure the lifting operation was suitably planned, supervised or carried out safely.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the worker and a colleague were attempting to manoeuver the structure out of the premises using a fork lift truck. Whilst trying to raise the structure from its supporting trestles it twisted, and swung towards the worker, entering the cab of the fork lift truck and striking him.
The company had not carried out a risk assessment and no formal training had been provided for the employees.
Knowsley Engineering Services Ltd of Peel Road Industrial Estate, Skelmersdale pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,670.
Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Imran Siddiqui said: “Had the company taken basic steps such as providing suitable training so those undertaking the lift were in a more informed position to assess and then adequately manage the risks, this incident would have been avoided.”
