Two contractors fell almost two meters while fixing a roller-shutter door, resulting in a Leicestershire recycling company being fined.
Eurokey Recycling Ltd. admitted two breaches of the Work at Height Regulations SI 2005/735. They were fined £9 000 for the breaches and ordered to pay £1 880 costs.
The two contractors arrived on-site on 21 February 2013 to carry out work. They found two forklift trucks with caged containers balanced on their prongs. Each cage was raised around three metres with the contractors inside them. The accident occurred when the cages were not lowered at the same speed, destabilising the load and causing them to fall to the ground.
One contractor broke his wrist, while the other suffered several torn muscles in his back. Both of these injuries resulted in the men not being able to work for substantial periods of time.
Investigation from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found several breaches. The HSE inspector felt strongly about the subject stating: “The system of work employed for the work activity was totally inappropriate and posed an obvious risk to the safety of the people being lifted. People should never be lifted on a pallet or similar container, balanced on the forks of a lift truck because they can easily fall off.”
