CMC UK Ltd, a steel supply company, has been fined following the death of an employee who was crushed by a two tonne steel beam at a warehouse in Cardiff.
Following an investigation into the incident, an inspector from the HSE said that the tragic loss of life could have been avoided if the lifting operation had been properly planned and appropriately supervised and employees given adequate training.
At Cardiff Crown Court it was heard how Mark Walker, a 37-year-old father of one from Newport, suffered fatal injuries as he was trying to move a steel beam onto a conveyor at the warehouse in Trident Industrial Park, Cardiff on 24 June 2012.
Mr Walker was working alone and was to use the computer controlled saw for the first time. He had to separate H-beam columns that were stacked ready to be put on the conveyor that fed the saw.
The stacked columns were 16 metres long and weighed more than two tonnes each. He lifted one end of a column with an overhead crane and put two wooden bearers in the middle while he got between the columns to pull the hoist chains through. While he was doing this, the wooden bearers gave way and the top column fell on Mr Walker. He died at the scene.
HSE’s investigation found that:
CMC UK Ltd of Trident Industrial Park, Glass Avenue, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety at work legislation and was fined a total of £112,500 and ordered to pay £96,000.in costs.
HSE Inspector Dean Baker, speaking after the hearing, said: “Mark Walker tragically lost his life in this avoidable incident.
“The company did not adequately plan the work that Mark was tasked with and expected a number of employees to separate large steel columns at waist height.
“They should have identified the risk of these columns falling and ensured that the columns were separated at floor level or in a suitable rack. Had the lifting operation been properly planned and appropriately supervised and employees given adequate training, Mr Walker would still be alive.”
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