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Written by
on 05 March 2013

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Abba Scrap Metal, a steel metal firm, has recently been prosecuted by the HSE after one of their employees was seriously injured when a bus hit him while being moved onto a truck. The 49 year old worker, Clifford Evans, was pushed up against a solid wall momentarily by the bus before it swung away from him. He suffered severe fractures to the bones in his ribcage and pelvis.

Man Pinned to the Wall by the Single Decker Bus

The incident which occurred in December 2011 could have resulted in a fatality. The employees for Abba Scrap Metals were loading a bus weighing 3.5 tonnes onto a low loader truck. The bus was being lifted by two chains and it swung out in the direction of Mr Evans, striking him and causing the injuries. Initially the employees were going to raise the front of the bus by using an excavator while a forklift would lift its rear. As it was lifted the truck could be reversed underneath the bus. When they lifted up the truck the two chains that were linked up to the excavator caused the bus to move.

Poor Planning was to Blame

Merthyr Tydfil Magistrates court heard that the planning that had gone into the manoeuvre was poorly planned.  The workers who were involved in the lifting of the bus had not been trained on how to lift a vehicle using the aid of chains. The worker also should not have been permitted to position himself in a risky place where he could potentially be struck by the heavy bus or pinned to the wall as it moved.

On 27th February 2013 Abba Scrap metals was fined £8,000 and was told to pay £8,912 in court costs. They admitted breaching the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations as the workers were not properly trained, the work wasn’t planned and the workers were not standing in suitable spot while the lifting was occurring.

Safety Training and Competent Person Services

It is essential that all work is properly planned before the work commences. Planning helps to spot the hazards that will put the employees and/or the public at risk. From there a competent person is able to work out ways of controlling or reducing the risks. Planning is essential and if you don’t have the right people with the right skills to plan correctly you may be able to make use of the competent person or training health and safety services.

Learn more about preventing accidents in your workplace by calling the health and safety consultants on 0800 1488 677.

About 

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.

A chartered (fellow) safety and risk management practitioner with 20+ years of experience. David provides a healthy dose of how-to articles, advice and guidance to make compliance easier for construction professionals, Architects and the built environment. Get social with David on Twitter and Linkedin.

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