Lifting operation was badly planned

A principal contractor has been fined £10,000 after an employee of a constituent company sustained severe injuries whilst carrying out a lifting operation.

On 11 April 2015 Forth Crossing Bridge Constructors (FCBC) leased a large area within Rosyth Dockyard where an employee was undertaking a lifting operation to move two large crane mats.

Investigating, the HSE found the work activities to move the crane mats was a complex and non-routine lifting operation which had not been planned by a competent person. It was not appropriately supervised or carried out in a safe manner. The chains being used were not suitable as their reach distances were too short for the distance between the lifting points on the crane mat.

FCBC, of Builyeon Road, South Queensferry pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 8 of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and was fined £10,000.

Speaking after the hearing HSE principal Inspector, Robert Hirst said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply implementing appropriate control measures and safe working practices.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required health and safety standards.”

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!