Engineer Suffered Fractured Skull In Incident

The prosecution of a tyre company over an incident which saw an employee suffer a severe head injury has highlighted key issues for firms to bear in mind about workplace risks, a lawyer at Irwin Mitchell has suggested.

Goodyear Dunlop Tyres was fined £18,250 and ordered to pay costs of £4,807 over the accident which left maintenance engineer Karl Illidge with a fractured skull.

He was repairing a tyre press when the internal bladder burst and caused the lid to blow off. The worker hit his head on nearby equipment as he looked to protect himself.

According to the Health and Safety Executive, the maintenance team were not fully trained to carry out the work they were doing, while safe systems were also not in place.

Commenting on the case, workplace injury lawyer David Urpeth said: “It is vital that workers are always given the right tools to carry out their work, whether it is actual equipment or training.

“News that these were lacking in this case is a worry and also an issue that I encourage all employers to seriously consider.

“Businesses must not expose their staff to avoidable risks and I urge them take the necessary steps to ensure everyone at their sites is as safe as possible.”

If you or a loved one has suffered due to an accident at work, our personal injury claims team could help you to secure the compensation you deserve. Visit our Workplace Accident Compensation page for more information.