IODS Pipe Cad Limited was fined £60,000 following death caused by unsafe lifting practice.

Engineering company  IODS Pipe Cad Limited was fined £60,000 following the death of an employee who was struck on the head by a wooden bearer in the yard of a fabrication workshop.

The circumstances were:

• On 7 September 2017, James Longair was helping a colleague who was operating a side loader.
• Pipes were being moved from one part of the yard to another by lifting the pipes on the forks.
• The work method used to lift and move the pipes was unsafe.  
• There was no method to secure the pipe on the forks when lifted.
• This meant that, should a pipe begin to roll along the forks, the operator had no control over it
• The men decided that the pipe should be lifted at one end using the side loader. 
• Once the pipe had been lifted at one end it rolled off the forks and struck the deceased on the leg before falling onto a wooden bearer. 
• This sent the bearer into the air, striking Mr Longair on the head. 

The HSE inspector said:

“This tragic incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”