Ipswich manufacturer fined £25,000 after worker injured

Date:

10 May 2011

Release No:

HSE-e-20-11

A Hertfordshire employee suffered multiple injuries after two quarter tonne steel flange rings fell on him.

A 39-year-old machine operative from Hitchin, Hertfordshire, was working at the premises of pipe coupling manufacturer, Viking Johnson on Wilbury Way, Hitchin, when the incident happened on 7 May 2009.

Stevenage Magistrates' Court heard how the employee was rolling smaller flange rings - a circular steel disc used to connect pipes - out of a metal storage rack, when the 250kg rings fell. The larger rings landed on his pelvis, causing internal injuries and multiple fractures.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the metal rack in which the rings were resting was not suitable and the firm had failed to assess the risk of rings falling on an employee while taking them down.

Crane Ltd, Viking Johnson's parent company of West Road, Ipswich, manufacturers of valves and fittings for building services, admitted breaching Regulation 4 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations - for which it was fined £15,000 - and Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety At Work Act 1974, with a fine of £10,000. The company was ordered to pay £3,387.25 in prosecution costs.

HSE Inspector Sandra Dias, said:

"This was a serious and entirely preventable incident which left this employee with horrific injuries. I hope other employees are taking note of this case.

"Although Crane Limited had a health and safety system in place, they failed to recognise it was not adequate. Therefore the safety of its employees was compromised when handling the flange rings as Crane failed to properly assess risk and failed to provide adequate work equipment."

Latest statistics for the East of England show that two people were killed and 342 suffered a major injury while working in the manufacturing industry in 2008/09.

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.
2. The hearing took place at Stevenage Magistrates Court on 9 May.
3. Regulation 4 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations states:
   1. Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is so constructed or adapted as to be suitable for the purpose for which it is used or provided.
   2. In selecting work equipment, every employer shall have regard to the working conditions and to the risks to the health and safety of persons which exist in the premises or undertaking in which that work equipment is to be used and any additional risk posed by the use of that work equipment.
   3. Every employer shall ensure that work equipment is used only for operations for which, and under conditions for which, it is suitable.
   4. In this regulation "suitable" means suitable in any respect which it is reasonably foreseeable will affect the health or safety of any person."
4. 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.
5. For more information on health and safety in manufacturing go to www.hse.gov.uk/manufacturing

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