Tyre Services paid lip service to training

Magistrates have criticised fast-fit tyre firm National Tyre Services for paying only lip service to health and safety training.

The comments followed a hearing at Nottingham Magistrates' Court when the tyre firm, which trades as National Tyres and Autocare at over 200 UK sites, was fined £12,800 after a worker fell off a ladder

The 18-year-old employee injured his foot while standing on an unstable ladder to stack tyres on a rack. To maintain his balance as another worker passed the tyres to him, he held onto a beam above the racking. Unfortunately, the beam came away and he fell down the ladder.

Nottingham City Council health and safety team's investigation found the firm had failed to carry out work at height safely, and had not provided a safe system of work or maintained the tyre racking properly.

At the end of the case, magistrates said they were disturbed that National Tyre paid lip service only to health and safety issues in relation to training, and "that unless employees expressed worries about health and safety issues, it was assumed that all was well". They fined the firm £12,800 plus £3300 costs for breaches of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act, Regulation 4(1)(c) of the Work at Height Regulations, and Regulation 5(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations.

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