Employee Lucky following Health and Safety Breach
Falls from height are serious no matter the height from which one has fallen. A fall from a great distance can mean death. A fall from a lower height can lead to internal injuries, brain issues, and more. A worker at a Widnes firm fell from the top of a storage tank for chemicals. The case was heard in court on March 27, 2012. The worker was 44 at the time of the incident. Living in Bala, North Wales, the worker was at a plant to take care of some maintenance work.
A chemical vapour inside suddenly exploded when it caught fire. The worker was on the tank, but fell due to the explosion. He fell 2.5 metres and landed on a metal girder. The HSE investigated through health and safety audits to determine the fault of the incident.
It was found that Hutchinson Technical Services was at fault for the 2010 incident. The court heard about the worker falling unconscious to the ground, with burns on his right arm and leg. He also suffered bruising on his ribs. For several weeks, he was unable to work in order to recover. The court was told how the worker was on the tank without any safety precautions in place to prevent a fall. It was a breach of health and safety. This is why the company has been fined. Now a cage must be on the tanks to prevent further health and safety incidents.
