Lemon Groundwork Solutions fined £135,589 after injury due to unsafe stacking

Steel fabrication company Lemon Groundwork Solutions Limited was fined £135,589 (inc.costs) after steel cages fell onto a worker’s leg, resulting in multiple fractures.

The circumstances were:

• Lemon Groundwork Solutions Limited had previously been served Improvement Notices regarding the safety of its lifting operations and the management of vehicles and pedestrians in its yard.
• The company was previously fined £100,000 following an incident in 2016 in which an employee was struck by a bundle of steel rebar that fell off a forklift, causing multiple fractures to his leg.
• This accident related to stacking of steel cages.
• These steel cages were free-standing on the floor, each weighing 1188kg, and were stacked between 2-4 cages high in an unstable pyramid formation, without chocks to support the load. 
• The task of stacking cages was not adequately risk assessed.
• Lemon Groundwork Solutions Limited failed to implement a safe system of work for storing cages 
• They had not provided their employees with sufficient information, instruction, training and supervision to store and handle cages safely. 
• They had  failed to determine the maximum height that the cages could be stacked and suitable means to secure the cages to prevent movement and collapse. 
• in November 2017, an employee was using a gantry crane to lift a steel cage from a stack of cages.
• When the employee used the gantry crane to lift the top cage from the stack, two cages at the bottom rolled onto his left foot and leg, fracturing his tibia and fibula bones. 
• As a result, the worker had to undergo reconstructive surgery where metal rods, plates and pins were inserted into his leg.

The HSE inspector said:
“This incident could easily have been prevented if the company had adopted safe control measures for storing and handling cages, and adequately supervised the task. Companies should be aware of the risks of handling metal stock, and that it should always be stored and stacked so it is not likely to move, fall and cause injury.”

William Lee Ltd., fined £66,000 for finger amputation after machine restarted during blockage clearing

Foundry company William Lee Ltd., was fined £66,000 (inc.costs) after an employee had two fingers amputated while attempting to clear a blockage in a moulding machine.

• On 28 February 2018, an employee was attempting to clear a blockage of sand in a moulding machine.
• No risk assessment of blockage clearing had been carried out.
• There were no safe systems of work or training for this operation.
• The employee was using a length of metal rod and had not isolated the machine
• The blockage cleared without warning.
• The employee’s right hand was crushed between the rod and the machine.
• This resulted in two fingers being amputated, and a number of fractured bones

The HSE inspector said:
“If a suitable safe system of work had been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”

Chesterfield Special Cylinders Ltd was fined £700,000 after fatal failure of pressurised equipment

Chesterfield Special Cylinders Ltd was fined £869,498 (inc.costs) for safety breaches after a 64-year-old worker was fatally wounded by shrapnel ejected from testing equipment.

The circumstances were:

• On 10 June 2015, John Townsend was leak testing eight 1500 litre cylinders.
• This comprised applying compressed air inside to create pressure.
• Prior to installing the fittings, 1.5 litres of a mineral oil-based corrosion inhibitor had been placed into each of the cylinders.
• The inhibitor contaminated the leak test manifold during venting of cylinders.
• It was subjected to enough pressure inside the manifold to cause the test equipment to fail.
• The failure was catastrophic enough to fatally injure Mr Townsend.

The HSE inspector commented:
“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to identify any additional risks that arise when work processes are adapted. Companies should accurately identify and control all potential hazards in the workplace and thereafter monitor performance through effective supervision.”