Recycling Company Fined for Health and Safety Breach
A recycling company has been prosecuted after a worker was crushed between two skips. Steven Graham suffered serious injuries following the incident at Lowmac Alloys Ltd in Ayr. Mr Graham had been standing between the skips when an 18 tonne shovel loader pushed them together.
The 46 year old attempted to alert the loader driver of his injuries but initially failed. The driver then needed three attempts to lift the skip after realising that Mr Graham was severely injured. The victim broke his pelvis and suffered other injuries from which he has not yet recovered.
A Health and Safety Executive Investigation revealed that the company had failed to assess the risk of traffic management at the recycling centre. They also found that the shovel loader was not the correct size for the operating area and the driver had not received health and safety training on relevant issues.
“Mr Graham suffered horrendous injuries that will affect him for the rest of his life – but this incident was entirely avoidable. If Lowmac had taken simple steps to protect their staff, carrying out a proper risk assessment and taking measures to separate employees from the heavy vehicles that operated on site, this would not have happened,” HSE Inspector Aileen Jardine revealed.
Lowmac Alloys Ltd, which is based in Green Street Lane, Ayr, was subsequently fined £80,000 by Ayr Sheriff Court. The firm admitted to breaching a section of the 1974 Health and Safety at Work etc. Act.
