T Cook & Son (Farmers) Ltd has been sentenced for safety breaches after a 17-year-old worker suffered crush injuries to his foot.
Bridlington Magistrates’ Court heard that on 20 December 2017 a concrete panel was dropped during a lifting operation involving a telehandler vehicle on a farm in Owstwick, Yorkshire.
An HSE investigation found that the panel was being installed to repair a pig shed. A telehandler was used to lower the panel, weighing over a tonne, into place and the load fell after the tines of the telehandler were withdrawn. The panel fell onto the young worker resulting in mid foot fractures and crush injuries.
T Cook & Son (Farmers) Ltd of Kenby Farm, Owstwick, Roos, Withernsea, East Yorkshire pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8 (1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The company has been fined £4,690.00 and ordered to pay £7,045.96 in costs.
After the hearing, HSE Inspector Sarah Taylor, commented: “All lifting activities should be properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
“This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those responsible for lifting operations especially when young persons are put at risk.”
