UPDAT E
EXETER
Lift-shaft fall lands Flybe with £100k fine
COVEN T RY
FIRM FINED £400K AFTER WORKER’S ARM SEVERED WHO HAS BEEN PROSECUTED? SaintGobain Construction Products UK, a division of the French glazing giant and based in Coventry, was taken to court by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after a worker lost his left arm.
What’s the story? Europe’s biggest regional airline Flybe has been given a £100,000 penalty after a worker fell into a lift shaft at Exeter Airport.
P HOTOGRAPHY: ALAMY
How did it happen? The 34-yearold employee was moving a loaded lift trolley on the second floor when he fell into the shaft and landed on the ground 5m below, fracturing his upper arm and pelvis in three places. He spent 26 days in hospital, was in a wheelchair for a month and then confined to crutches. He also had post-traumatic stress disorder and was unable to return to work for nearly a year. What did the investigation reveal? UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Emma O’Hara found that the lift doors
had a fault. Use of the door release key meant that the lift doors could be opened with the floor of the lift in any place, so the safety sensor was over-ridden. ‘Busy workers who were moving parts and tools felt compelled to keep the lift in use,’ she said. ‘The lift should have been taken out of service or an alternative system of work should have been in place.’ What happened in court? Flybe pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act at Exeter Magistrates’ Court. The company was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £9963 in costs. Judge Jo Matson said the starting point for a fine was £300,000 but took into consideration the guilty plea, the firm’s exemplary health and safety record and its full cooperation.
WHAT HAPPENED? On 13 August 2017, an employee was clearing rock that had built up around the belt with a colleague. The rock had become so compacted it was difficult to remove by hand, so both men went to the end of the belt that contained the start/stop button, which was protected by a local isolation safety measure. They removed the local isolation and pressed the button, but it failed to clear the blockage. One of the men went to the opposite end of the belt while the safety guards were still removed. The pair were no longer in visual contact, and one of the employees pressed the start/stop button again. His colleague’s arm was in close proximity to
the rotating drum and his arm was drawn in. WHY DID THE INCIDENT OCCUR? HSE investigators revealed there was no risk assessment or safe system of work in place for clearing rock safely from tail-end drums. WHAT HAPPENED IN COURT? Saint-Gobain Construction Products – which designs, manufactures and distributes construction materials – admitted breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The firm was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay costs of £12,945. WHAT DID THE INSPECTOR SAY? ‘This injury could easily have been prevented, had the risk been identified,’ said HSE inspector Michelle Morrison. ‘Employers should make sure they properly assess and apply effective control measures to minimise the risk from dangerous parts of machinery.’
22 MARCH/APRIL 2020 | IOSHMAGAZINE.COM
22-23 Update - Prosecutions_Mar-Apr 2020_IOSH 22
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