Firm fined after employee trapped under stone slabs

Date:

16 May 2011

Release No:

COILON/1605

A granite business and one of its directors has been fined after a man was trapped under a two-and-a-half tonne pack of stone slabs while unloading a truck in Hillingdon.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted M & R Granite & Marble Ltd and Monzer Mahmoud Alrayes, a director of the company, over the incident on 21 October 2010.

City of London Magistrates' heard the worker, who does not want to be named, was unloading pallets from an articulated truck under the direct supervision of Mr Alrayes, when a pack of stone slabs toppled and fell, trapping the man against another pallet.

Injuries to the man's chest and left arm required several operations and many months of post injury therapy and rehabilitation, which are likely to affect his future employment prospects.

HSE told the court M & R Granite & Marble Ltd failed to ensure the man was not exposed to the risk of falling stone slabs during handling operations.

After the hearing, HSE's Inspector Saif Deen said:

"The risks of handling stone slabs and loading or unloading operations from containerised lorries are well known as both the HSE and industry have highlighted.

"The incident was completely avoidable as many companies have developed methods of safely unloading containers and there is no reason why M & R Granite & Marble Ltd should be any different."

Mr Monzer Mahmoud Alrayes of 53 Lancaster Road, Northolt pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety etc. at Work Act 1974. He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,079.

M & R Granite and Marble Ltd of Unit 20, Brook Industrial Estate, Hayes, Hillingdon, pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health and Safety etc. at Work Act 1974. The firm was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay costs of £2,079.

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. www.hse.gov.uk
2. Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not thereby exposed to risks to their health or safety."
3. Information on risk assessments can be found at: http://www.hse.gov.uk/risk/casestudies/index.htm

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