Hertfordshire firm fined after accident at work

A Hertfordshire firm which designs and manufactures shop fixtures and displays has been fined GBP 20,000 after an employee fractured his pelvis in an accident at work.

Denis Cronin was straddling a beam at a factory while dismantling racking, when the beam splayed, causing him to fall two metres onto a wooden pallet below.

Mr Cronin's pelvis was fractured in three places, he was in hospital for a week and took a further three months to fully recover.

Investigators at the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that employees had been told to use the warehouse racking as a ladder and that the method was standard practice at the company.

Benchmark Fabrication Ltd admitted breaching Regulation 6(3) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 at Hertfordshire Magistrates' Court.

HSE inspector, Graham Tompkins, said: "Climbing warehouse racking is extremely dangerous, the managers at Benchmark should have been aware of this and provided the appropriate equipment - in this case a set of library steps or a small self supporting tower scaffold."

Posted by Alison Spriggs

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