Crane fall workers employer prosecuted

A man suffered serious injuries falling from a crane whilst working - 11th May 2009

 

A company has been prosecuted following an accident in the workplace where a man had a fall from height resulting in serious injuries.

The 40 year old man was working on an overhead cranes cross beam in June 2008 when the accident happened, it resulted in him having a fall from height of around six metres onto a concrete floor.

The man has not returned to work yet due to the injuries at work he sustained, which included multiple fractures to the skull, broken ribs and a broken collarbone and saw him spend several weeks in hospital.

His employer, MES Environment of Wolverhampton pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, and the Working at Height Regulations 2005 at Wolverhampton Magistrates Court, where they were fined £8,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,532.

A inspector who investigated the incident for the Health and Safety Executive said: "The most common cause of falls from height involve failure to recognise a problem, provide safe systems of work, ensure that these systems are followed and provide adequate information, instruction, training or supervision."