Father paralysed after crate fallThree companies have been fined after a father of three was left paralysed when a crate of concrete fell on him while he was working at a Shell refinery.
Stephen Rizzotti, of Runcorn, Cheshire, was left with severe injuries including a broken back, two broken legs and a broken pelvis after a waste container weighing 500kg crashed down on him from 30 feet at the plant near Ellesmere Port - in what has been described as a "totally avoidable" incident by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).
Mr Rizzotti, who worked for Dalprop Ltd (formerly S.G Blair and Co), sustained the injuries while working on a refurbishment project at the Stanlow Manufacturing Complex.
Shell UK Oil Products Ltd was fined £116,666 and ordered to pay costs of £16,204 while Dalprop was fined £83,333 with costs of £11,115 and Hertel UK fined £83,333 with costs of £16,204, after all three pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety laws.
HSE inspector Alan Graham said the incident has had a "devastating impact" on Mr Rizzotti and his family.
He added: "The scaffolding should have been constructed so that the lifting equipment was away from areas where people had to walk. The landing area should also have been suitably protected."
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