Schindler Company Fined for Health and Safety at Heathrow
Schindler is a lift manufacturer that has been prosecuted for safety and health issues that resulted in a death of a worker at Heathrow airport. The incident happened in 2007, when a 45-year-old worker was killed helping on the construction of Terminal 5A. The worker was crushed due to a passenger lift they were installing. The company was seen as breaching the health and safety act. This is why they owe £300,000 in fines among other costs for the death incident.
The HSE was brought in for health and safety audits to determine how the incident happened and what could have been the cause of such a death. It was found that the worker was on a ladder in the lift shaft. The worker was with other employees installing lift cars. A colleague was using one of the cars to get equipment from a higher level. Unfortunately, a counterweight came down crushing the worker on the ladder. The injuries were fatal. It was determined that the lift was unfinished, but they were still using it for tools, materials, and workers being carried back and forth.
The company did not have telephone or radios that were effective either, so the workers would shout up and down the shaft. This could have caused confusion. The lack of risk management of the site has a direct effect on the workers, is partially responsible for the death of one worker, and could have resulted in additional injuries.
