Company fined after two workers severely injured within three months

Date:

1 September 2010

Release No:

SCO/180/10

A Troon sawmilling firm has been fined a total of £28,000 after two of its employees were severely injured in separate incidents less than three months apart.

On 28 May 2007, John Wilson, 55, of Dalmellington, Ayrshire, was working for Adam Wilson and Sons in Troon, Ayrshire, when he fell through a gap in a raised walkway left open after work had been done on a conveyor belt below. He suffered serious injuries to his arm and permanent loss of movement in his shoulder as a result of the fall.

Less than three months later, on 24 August 2007, Robert Cumming, 59, of Ayr, Ayrshire, was working for the same firm at the same plant when his head was trapped between the metal parts of a hoist after it was switched on while he was working on it. He suffered serious crush injuries to his head and neck and required emergency surgery. He is having ongoing physiotherapy for his injuries.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that Adam Wilson and Sons did not have safe systems of work in place for maintaining the conveyor belt, or the hoist machine. The investigation also found that staff had not been given enough information, training, instruction and supervision on the importance of safe systems of work and machinery isolation when doing maintenance work.

Adam Wilson and Sons Limited, of Harbour Road, Troon, Ayrshire, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1), 2(2)(a) in the May incident, and to breaching Section 2(1), 2(2)(a) and (c) in the August incident.

They were fined £8,000 for the first incident, £20,000 for the second incident.

HSE Inspector Helen Diamond said:

"These were two serious and entirely preventable accidents which will affect both Mr Wilson and Mr Cumming for the rest of their lives.

"Employers need to recognise the importance of making sure that safe systems of work are in place to prevent these sorts of accident, and to give their employees the training, information, instruction and supervision they need to carry out their work safely."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. http://www.hse.gov.uk/
2. In Scotland the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has sole responsibility for the raising of criminal proceedings for breaches of health and safety legislation.
3. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
4. Section 2(2) states "Without prejudice to the generality of an employer's duty under the preceding subsection, the matters to which that duty extends include in particular—(a)the provision and maintenance of plant and systems of work that are, so far as is reasonably practicable, safe and without risks to health;" and "(c)the provision of such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety at work of his employees;"

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