£30,000 fine after worker crushed

A Cardiff firm has been handed a £57,500 penalty after one its employees suffered multiple injuries when heavy machinery toppled onto him.

In September 2006 Colin Davies, an employee of Cardiff firm Pullman Design and Fabrication, was working with a colleague to move an 800kg swarf crusher, which was part of a wheel lathe. Pullman, which specialises in the refurbishment of railway rolling stock, was using the machinery to refurbish wheels.

Davies and his workmate were manually pulling the machine - which measured 1.6 metres high and 1.6 metres wide - along the bottom of a 10m-long pit using "skates" which were positioned under its four legs. Skates are caterpillar-like tracks with steel rollers, about 20cm long and 12cm wide.

As the two men pulled the crusher, one of the skates came out and the machine unbalanced and fell, trapping Davies beneath it. He broke his collar bone, wrist and femur, and suffered back injuries and extensive bruising to his back, legs and feet.

HSE inspector Hugh Emment, who went to the scene on the day of the accident and carried out the later investigation, explained that skates are quite commonly used to move machinery, but Pullman hadn't risk assessed their use in this case. The crusher's legs were nearly a metre high, and the weight was unbalanced due to a heavy electric motor at one end.

"Skates can be used [to move machinery],"but when the centre of gravity is high up, there's a risk of it toppling."

After the accident, Pullman removed the machine's legs and moved it using a pedestrian truck.

Pullman Design and Fabrication of the Train Maintenance Depot in Leckwith, Cardiff, pleaded guilty to failing to ensure employees' health and safety, contrary to Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.

At Cardiff Crown Court, the company was fined £30,000 and ordered to pay £27,500 costs.

Article created by Editor. (info@safetynetscotland.co.uk)