Fencing panels crush injuries: £260,000 fine
Health and Safety Executive v Blok N Mesh Ltd (2018) Liverpool magistrates’ court, July 9
Statutory reference: ss. 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974 (HSWA).
Blok N Mesh Ltd, a security fencing manufacturing company, has been fined after a worker was injured when fencing panels fell on him.
The facts
John Evans, an employee of the company, was manually loading fencing panels into shipping containers at the company’s site in February 2017.
Approximately 34 panels fell onto him He suffered multiple injuries including multiple fractures.
Workers were put at risk by the company not having suitable control measures in place to prevent the panels from falling.
There had been two previous similar incidents which should have warned the company that the loading procedure was dangerous.
The company had also failed to ensure that work was sufficiently planned, that risks were assessed and controlled, and that a safe system of work was in place.
The decision
The company was fined £260,000 plus £5000 costs under ss.2 and 3 of HSWA.
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