Employee's Arm Injured In Incident

Companies need to provide their staff with the necessary training and supervision if they are to prevent workplace injuries, an expert at Irwin Mitchell has warned.

David Urpeth, national head of accident at work claims at the law firm, commented after Edinburgh company Forth Steel was fined £50,000 over an incident in 2009 which saw an employee sustain serious arm injuries.

The worker had placed his arm between metal plates in order to mark them with identification numbers. However, the plate above slipped from a crane hook and fell onto his arm, leaving it broken and requiring surgery.

An investigation suggested the procedure for lifting plates was unsafe, while risk assessments had not been carried out and the crane operator had not received formal lifting training.

Discussing the case, David Urpeth said: “This case showed an appalling catalogue of errors.

“Falling objects can cause serious and fatal injuries in the workplace, so it is vital that businesses make every effort to ensure they apply safe working practices.

“While this means the provision of training, it also relates to the use of risk assessments to highlight any potential problems and the full testing of procedures.

“All employees deserve the right to go to work and leave at the end of the day without their safety being undermined in between. Firms need to do all they can to protect workers.”