The UK Health & Safety Executive (UK HSE) issued a report about a company that has been fined after an employee got injured when he was hit by a steel plate that fell from a crane, on 10 December 2015. The company has been fined £32,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3444.80 and a victim surcharge of £120.00.
The incident
The person that got injured person suffered a back injury while working on a new metal staircase under construction. The task involved using a crane to raise a steel sheet attached to a magnet.
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However, the sheet became detached from the magnet, and fell hitting the injured person on the back. The worker fractured his spine and has been unable to continue working as a steel fixer.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 4 and 8 (1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. The company has been fined £32,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3444.80 and a victim surcharge of £120.00.
Probable cause
The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) launched an investigation into the incident which took place on the 10 December 2015 at the University of Bedfordshire, Luton Campus. It found that the company did not ensure that the lifting equipment had enough strength and stability for each load.
Moreover, the magnet had to be de-rated to take into account the thinness and the length of the metal being lifted. The company also failed to ensure that the lifting operation was planned by a competent person, with appropriate supervision and that it was conducted in a safe way.