Worker suffers severe injuries from falling machine

Employers’ liability insurance is a critical asset to an engineering company who has experienced an incident where an employee has been badly hurt.

Carter International has been prosecuted after a two-tonne piece of machinery fell onto the legs of a 21 year old laborer.

The engineering company refurbishes machines for the plastic and rubber industries. The worker was preparing to clean a section of machinery when it when it part toppled from a forklift truck. The two-metre-long machine part knocked the worker to the ground, breaking his collar bone and causing multiple fractures to his legs.

An investigation by the health and safety executive (HSE) found that the bolts used to hold the machine part on the forklift truck were not designed for the job. Also, it was discovered that lifting machinery at the site had not been checked properly or frequently enough, despite it receiving improvement notices a couple of years earlier.

Carter International Ltd admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 by failing to ensure the safety of their staff during lifting operations. It was issued with a fine of £10,000 and ordered to pay £4,184 in costs.

HSE inspector, David Norton said:

“This was a really nasty incident and the worker is lucky to have escaped much more serious injury.”

“It is vital that companies where workers routinely lift very heavy objects not only provide the right equipment, but also have proper processes in place and plan each job properly to prevent these types of incidents.”

Last year, there were 32 deaths and more than 22,400 serious injuries in the construction industry in the UK. The construction industry will most benefit from acquiring public and employers liability insurance due its high risk nature. It provides full protection for any unforeseen accidents.