16.04.2008

Liverpool company hit for £117,000

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned of the dangers of allowing cranes to operate over the heads of employees, following the prosecution of Liverpool-based MRX Engineering Support Services, trading as Stackright Building Systems of Charleywood Road, Kirby for the death of an employee in 2007. See original story
MRX was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £16,941 costs at Liverpool Crown Court for breaching S 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in that it failed to ensure the safety of it’s employees. The company pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Knowsley Magistrates Court.

Welder and father of two, Keith Wharton, 41, from Kirby was killed instantly and his colleague Christopher Cansfield, 31, from Bootle sustained severe injuries including a broken neck and leg in the incident on 8 March 2007.

Wharton was killed and Cansfield seriously injured when a steel lifting frame weighing 680kgs fell from an overhead crane. There was no safety latch on the hook of the crane, the company should not have allowed loads to be moved over people’s heads and the crane operators had not been adequately trained in its safe use.

Judge Graham Morrow QC said: “The company fell far short of expected standards.”

HSE Inspector Iain Evans who investigated the incident said:
"Keith Wharton should not have died. His was an avoidable, pointless and unnecessary death in an environment where there were numerous safety issues. If the company which employed him had dutifully exercised its responsibility to ensure their safety, his family would not be here at court today grieving their loss.

"There is a very clear responsibility on employers and managers to safeguard their workers. There is plenty of advice and guidance within industry and from HSE on how to comply with the law. The failure to do so in this instance cost one man his life, and seriously injured his colleague."