A Suffolk cargo handling company has been fined £100,000 after an employee suffered serious injury when a sheet of marble weighing one tonne fell on him. 

Ipswich Crown Court heard how an employee of Extreme Handling Limited was working at GMA Warehousing and Transport Limited’s Felixstowe site. He was assisting a fork lift truck operator to move a one tonne sheet of marble from a container when it fell on him. He sustained serious and extensive crush injuries to his legs as well as a fractured sternum and severe lacerations to the back of his head. 

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident which occurred on 15 August 2014 found that there was an unsafe system of work being used to move the load. 

GMA Warehousing and Transport Limited, of Central Avenue, Ransomes Europark, Ipswich, Suffolk, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay costs of £9938.38. 

HSE inspector Jessica Churchyard said after the hearing: “Employers have an absolute duty to ensure that they do everything reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of their employees.” 

For further information on safety with Fork lift trucks visit: http://www.hse.gov.uk/workplacetransport/lift-trucks/ 

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/  and guidance at 
3. HSE news releases are available at http://press.hse.gov.uk