Worker fractures skull in MEWP incident

A worker suffered serious head injuries when a mobile elevating platform (MEWP) he was working in overturned.

Geoffrey Hatton, 49, from County Durham, was in the process of dismantling a compactor at a site in Wilmslow, Cheshire when the incident occurred.

Minshull Street Crown Court heard that on 19th January 2015, Mr Hatton and a colleague were taking large pieces of cladding off the frame of a compactor.

A large piece of the cladding came into contact with the MEWP causing it to fall over.

Mr Hatton fractured his skull and two ribs in the incident and had to spend two months in hospital.

The HSE investigation found serious safety failings by the Buckinghamshire waste equipment maintenance firm, Cole Mechanical Services Ltd.

• The MEWP – which was only suitable for internal work – was being used outside.
• The firm’s employees were not trained in how to use MEWPs or how to safely erect tower scaffolding
• No risk assessment has been conducted for the work being carried out
• At the time of the incident, another worker was working on a fragile roof with no fall protection.

Cole Mechanical Services Ltd pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1)of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,995.

The Safety Conversation Podcast: Listen now!

The Safety Conversation with SHP (previously the Safety and Health Podcast) aims to bring you the latest news, insights and legislation updates in the form of interviews, discussions and panel debates from leading figures within the profession.

Find us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts, subscribe and join the conversation today!

Listen here!