Firm fined for falling one ton loadA worker suffered serious back injuries when a one-ton mobile shredding machine fell off a fork lift truck and hit him.
Kevin Kelly`s employer Secure IT Disposals Ltd, of Woodgate Business Park, Birmingham, was ordered to pay a total of £11,500 for the incident where the device fell off the truck while it was being raised for maintenance on November 3, 2008.
Birmingham Magistrates` Court heard that Mr Kelly was fortunate not to be crushed by the falling load, but that he had sustained serious back injuries which required surgery. Mr Kelly has not worked since.
Secure IT Disposals Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and were ordered to pay £8,000 in fines and £3,500 in costs.
HSE inspector Paul Smith said: "This case should be a warning to all companies undertaking non-routine and one-off jobs that time spent thinking about how to do the job safely with the right equipment will ultimately save time and costs, and mostly importantly save lives."
Copyright © Press Association 2009
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