VEHICLE COLLISION ‘EJECTED’ MEWP OPERATOR

Fatal fall caused by failure to manage WAH and transport operations

A Suffolk-based trailer service firm has been fined after an employee suffered fatal head injuries in January 2015.

Ipswich Crown Court heard how an employee of the defendant was operating a scissor-lift working platform (MEWP) when this was struck by a long goods vehicle causing him to be ejected onto a roadway from a height of 1.5m.

HSE investigators found that the defendant failed to plan and organise work at height in a manner that ensured the safety of their workers.

Segregation of operations required

The work at height should have been organised to segregate activity in space and/or time from adjacent workplace transport operations.

SPR Trailer Services Limited – of Felixstowe, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and has been fined £120,000.

Speaking after the case, HSE Principal Inspector Norman Macritchie said

“This was a tragic and wholly avoidable incident, caused by the failure of the company to implement and monitor safe systems of work.

The company did not undertake the simple safety measure of segregating those working at height from adjacent workplace transport operations, in line with widely available industry guidance.”

Importance of Equipment

Incidents like these show people how important safety equipment such as lanyards and harnesses can be, as they help save workers lives. 
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