A cargo handling company has been fined after an employee was fatally crushed between shipping containers whilst working in a container park.
On 25 August 2017, a 34-year-old man was working on the night shift in the container park. His job was to connect refrigerated container units to electrical supplies, which his colleague had lifted into position for him using a container stacker vehicle. It was during one of these manoeuvres that he was fatally crushed between two containers.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive found that the company routinely failed to provide adequate supervision of operatives and drivers working on the night shift to ensure safe systems of work were followed. This included failure to use safe walkways to segregate pedestrians from vehicles and the safe operation of container stackers by driving with shipping containers in the raised position to allow visibility.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974. At the Magistrates’ Court the company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay costs of £15,631.61.
What do you need to know?
There are strict legal requirements concerning the thorough examination of all cranes. Lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined at the prescribed intervals. This is a detailed and specialised examination by a competent person. The examination will usually be arranged by the company, although it is the responsibility of the crane user to ensure that all necessary examinations are carried out and that the required reports are in order. Records of thorough examinations and tests must be: readily available to enforcing authorities; secure; and capable of being reproduced in written form.
The right level of supervision must be in place for lifting operations, reflecting the degree of risk and personnel involved in the particular lifting operation. The crane supervisor should direct and supervise the lifting operation to make sure it is carried out in accordance with the method statement. The crane supervisor should be competent and suitably trained and should have sufficient experience to carry out all relevant duties and authority to stop the lifting operation if it is judged dangerous to proceed.
Safe systems of work
You must plan lifting operations carefully to ensure they are carried out safely. Your plan should result in a safe system of work and this information should be recorded. This record is sometimes known as a method statement and you must ensure that everyone involved understands it.
Key elements include:
- planning – including site preparation, crane erection and dismantling;
- selection, provision and use of a suitable crane and work equipment
- including safe slinging and signalling arrangements;
- maintenance and examination of the crane and equipment;
- provision of properly trained and competent personnel;
- supervision of operations by personnel having the necessary authority;
- thorough examinations, reports and other documents;
- preventing unauthorised movement or use of the crane; and
- measures to secure safety of persons not involved in the lifting.
Source of information: HSE: Information about health and safety at work