Director given suspended sentence for severe injury caused by defective lorry crane

Hafeez Ghafoor, formerly a director of the now-dissolved landscaping company R K United Ltd, was given a suspended sentence for safety breaches after a worker suffered life changing injuries.

The circumstances were:

• On 25 August 2016, an employee of R K United Ltd was using a lorry loader crane.
• The crane had severe defects, including a disabled safety system, 
• Part of the safety guard around the controls had been cut off, leaving a protruding spike. 
• In addition, the worker had not received appropriate training to operate the lorry loader crane.
• As he brought the crane arm down, his left arm was impaled on the spike.. 
• The impact caused several bones in his arm to be shattered.

 

The HSE inspector commented: 

“This injury was easily preventable, and the risk should have been identified. The lorry loader crane should have been properly maintained, regular inspections carried out, and a thorough examination taken place every twelve months. The disabled safety system would have been found during the examination, ensuring that this incident could not have occurred.”