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UK News - Breaking news in the field of health and safety
Worker died after unsupported vehicle collapsed
A tragic and entirely avoidable industrial accident claimed the life of a 36-year-old employee of a Widnes vehicle recovery company on 31st December 2003.
The deceased employee of Hough Green Garage Ltd of Widnes was directed by his employer to recover a single deck Volvo B10 B bus in Garston, its air suspension system had failed. While he was working underneath the unsupported vehicle, the body of the bus collapsed, crushing him, inflicting what proved to be fatal injuries.
At Liverpool Crown Court, Hough Green Garage Ltd and its Managing Director were charged with breaching health and safety law, the company was found guilty on 2 charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 for which it was fined £60,000 and £30,000 respectively, plus £20,000 costs. It was also fined £6,000 for failing to carry out a risk assessment in relation to the roadside recovery of vehicles, placing it in breach of r.3 of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations1999.
The Managing Director was found guilty of 2 charges under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for which he was fined £10,000 and £4,000 respectively.
Comment:
"On the behalf of HSE and Merseyside Police I would like to express our sincere sympathy to ___ ____'s family.
HSE's guidance clearly states that no employee should work under unsupported vehicles, whatever the nature of the vehicle's suspension system. The tragic incident to Mr ____ was easily avoidable.
To reduce the risk of this type of incident recurring, we have undertaken further work with the organisations representing the roadside recovery industry. All agree that recovery operators should never work under unsupported vehicles for any purpose - this includes both adjusting the bus's air suspension system using the levelling valve and also using this system to raise a vehicle to gain access underneath.
Since the incident, the Publicly Available Specification, from BSI, PAS 43, 'Safe working of vehicle breakdown, recovery and removal operations. Management system specification', which is widely accepted by the industry, has been amended to emphasise this point. Additionally, HSE and the Institute for Vehicle Recovery (IVR) are about to publish new joint guidance on this matter.
The fundamental failures: to have safe systems of work; proper risk assessments; and safe operating procedures were key factors in Mr Allen's death. Recovery companies should ensure that they have the correct procedures in place when their employees have to work underneath vehicles at the roadside." - HSE's Head of Operations in the North West.
23.10.06
