One Call Hire Fined After Workers Are Hurt By Excavator

A national plant hire company has been fined £4,000 after bosses pleaded guilty to a single breach of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

One Call Hire of Enfield was also ordered to pay £1,036 in costs following a hearing at Westminster Magistrates' Court.

The firm was investigated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) in relation to a workplace accident that left two employees with painful injuries.

It emerged that the unnamed men were struck by a reversing mini-digger, which was being prepared for transportation to Australia.

As they cleaned the machine at the north London site, it inadvertently started to move, leaving one of the workers with leg injuries.

Although colleagues attempted to free the man, the excavator reversed again, hurting another employee. A third member of staff - who had been working underneath the digger - had a lucky escape.

One of the men suffered a broken bone below his knee, as well as extensive tissue damage to his foot and ankle.

According to the HSE, One Call Hire - which has 23 depots across the UK - had failed to introduce a safe system of work.

The court heard the employees were left to devise their own method of working and none of them had received any formal training.

HSE inspector Chris Tilley said: "Had the work been properly assessed, and measures taken to isolate power to the engine and make it safe, then the two workers could have avoided injury.

"One Call Hire has accepted its failings in this regard and we hope this prosecution sends a clear message to others."

Accidents involving heavy plant are not uncommon in the UK and many incidents occur when machines are being cleaned.

In September 2013, L&M Glazing of Bulwell, Nottingham was fined £11,000 after an employee was crushed by a two-and-a-half tonne excavator during a cleaning operation. The HSE found the company had failed to manage the risks to its employees.

Expert Opinion

We see time and time again cases where health and safety failings can lead to painful and sometimes fatal injuries. It is only by luck that the three people involved in this work accident didn’t sustain even more serious injuries. <br/> <br/>“Excavators are powerful machines which, if not operated in a safe capacity and treated with respect, can lead to serious or fatal consequences. <br/> <br/>“We know all too well the devastating consequences poor health and safety can cause as we have helped many people through their rehabilitation and recovery. <br/> <br/>“Hopefully this will send out an important message that poor health and safety will not be tolerated and that the correct training must be given.” <br/>