A company based in Milton Keynes has been fined for safety failings after a worker suffered serious injuries to his leg.

Aylesbury Crown Court heard how workers at GEA Mechanical Engineering Limited (GEA) were attempting to lift a 900kg decanter scroll back into its mobile trailer, following a service in the workshop. Struggling to manoeuver it far enough into the trailer, they asked an employee from the office staff to assist them.

Ralph Jago, aged 47, a technical support supervisor, went to their aid but during an attempt to lift the decanter, it slid forward trapping Mr Jago’s right leg against metal racking and badly breaking it. He was trapped for an hour and a half before fire and rescue services were able to free him.  He suffered serious fractures to his right leg requiring metal rods and pins to be inserted.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident which occurred on 29 January 2015 found that the company failed to ensure staff were suitably trained and competent to plan and carry out a lift of this complexity.

GEA Mechanical Equipment (UK) Limited, of Westfalia House, Wolverton Road, Old Wolverton, Milton Keynes, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and was fined £75,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,831.

Notes to Editors:

1. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice, promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice, and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk
2. More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: www.legislation.gov.uk/
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk