An engineering company in Knowsley has been fined after an employee was badly injured when he was struck by a metal structure during a lifting process.
The 46 year old worker from Skelmersdale sustained serious flesh wounds and a fractured arm in the incident on the 30th June 2014.
Knowsley Engineering Services Ltd was prosecuted today by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after an investigation found the company had failed to ensure that the lifting operation was suitably planned, supervised or carried out safely.
Liverpool Crown Court heard that the worker and a colleague were attempting to manoeuver the structure out of the premises using a fork lift truck. Whilst trying to raise the structure from its supporting trestles it twisted, and swung towards the worker, entering the cab of the fork lift truck and striking him.
The company had not carried out a risk assessment and no formal training had been provided for the employees.
Knowsley Engineering Services Ltd of Peel Road Industrial Estate, Skelmersdale pleaded guilty to a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,670.
Speaking after the hearing HSE Inspector Imran Siddiqui said: “Had the company taken basic steps such as providing suitable training so those undertaking the lift were in a more informed position to assess and then adequately manage the risks, this incident would have been avoided.”
Information on the safe use of lifting equipment, including forklift trucks, is available at: www.hse.gov.uk/pUbns/indg290.pdf
Notes to Editors:
- The Health and Safety Executive 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 hse.gov.uk
- More about the legislation referred to in this case can be found at: legislation.gov.uk/
- Further HSE news releases are available at press.hse.gov.uk.
Journalists should approach HSE press office with any queries on regional press releases.
