A company has been fined £80,000 after an employee sustained a fractured skull at its site in Glasgow.
In addition to a fractured skull, the worker sustained a broken clavicle, a ripped earlobe and haematomas down his right side, caused by being struck by a telehandler bucket while working at the company on 19 October 2022.
He had been removing cattle from the back of a lorry when the telehandler bucket became detached and struck him.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found the company failed to implement a safe system of work for the use of quick hitches on the telehandler. A quick hitch is a latching device that enables, in this case, the bucket, to be connected to the arm of the telehandler and changed quickly. A manual quick hitch requires an operator to manually insert a metal pin from the latching device to secure the attachment.
On the morning of 19 October 2022, a self-employed agricultural engineer had serviced the telehandler, which included removing the bucket but the engineer did not correctly reattach it onto the telehandler after the service was complete. The investigation found that the securing pin for the quick hitch had not been reinserted.
HSE principal inspector: “This was a serious incident that has resulted in a worker sustaining horrific injuries. We thoroughly investigated this incident and found the company failed to carry out the correct control measures and safe working practices at its site in Glasgow. The company also failed to check its vehicles after they had been serviced and repaired to ensure they were safe for use.”
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1), Section 2(2)(a) and Section 33(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £80,000 and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £6,000 at Airdrie Sheriff Court on 28 October 2024.
SOURCE: HSE
This incident highlights the critical importance of implementing and maintaining safe systems of work. The company in question faced severe consequences due to their failure to ensure proper safety measures, resulting in a worker sustaining serious injuries.
We at MBO Safety Services Ltd can support and assist you to ensure that your workplace is safe and compliant through:
- Risk Assessments: Identifying hazards and implementing control measures to ensure safety.
- Safe Working Practices: Creating step-by-step procedures for all personnel.
MBO Safety Services can provide you with the correct health and safety needs, by providing you with Risk Assessments, Method Statements as well as Safe Systems of Work in the line with the most up to date legislations. Feel free to get in touch by email info@mbo.ltd phone 08000 842 297 or contact us here.