Two companies have been fined more than £265,000 after a sub-contractor was almost crushed to death. The worker was pinned to a conveyor belt after a piece of equipment he was helping to install began working, crushing his pelvis. Processing company Tulip contracted French firm Armor Inox to install two new lines of cooking equipment at one of its sites. The worker in question was hired to refit covers to parts of the machines on 15 December 2004. With the project running on a tight schedule, Tulip took on the main design and supervisory role despite no health and safety plan, multiple sub-contractors on site and a lack of adequately trained staff.
The accident occurred when the worker had to stand on machinery to get to a panel. In doing so he activated a sensor which set a conveyor belt moving, and he became trapped between the two lines. He had no electrical knowledge and had not received any clear instructions regarding the dangers of the machinery. Mark Harris, prosecuting on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), said "The sad picture of lack of organisation is coloured further by the fact that the health and safety manager had no understanding of current regulations and was not aware that the installation of the equipment should have been carried out in accordance with them."
Both companies admitted breaching the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations SI 1994/3140 (which have since been replaced by the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations SI 2007/320.)
