A Blaydon-on-Tyne engineering firm has been sentenced and fined £40,000 after a worker suffered life changing injuries at work.
The worker was moving an 18 tonne steel roll with lifting equipment, when the maximum load was exceeded. This resulted in the lift clutch shearing, causing the load to swing and hit the worker on the head.
The company, H E Realisations Ltd., formerly Hogg Engineering Ltd., pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Lifting Operation and Lifting Equipment Regulations SI 1998/2307. The company is now in liquidation.
After the hearing, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Laura Catterall commented: "Lifting operations are hazardous and require a competent person to properly plan and supervise them to ensure that suitable and properly maintained equipment is used in the right configuration to avoid exceeding safe working loads."
