Man Hit by Falling Platform suffers Workplace Injury
A man was hit by a falling work platform in an accident at a Preston steel firm.
The 50 year old man – who has not been named – was working for EDV Reinforcements Ltd at the time of the accident in January 2011. The firm manufactures products made of steel such as beams used for structural stability in construction projects.
A fork lift truck was being used on the company’s premises to lift a work platform. However, the incident happened when the platform slid off the forks of the truck and struck the man who was stood on the ground nearby. The man suffered injury in the accident, damaging his back and fracturing a rib.
The HSE investigated the incident and found that the platform had not been properly secured to the truck. The platform was instead just balanced on the forks. This negligence by the company resulted in the man’s injuries and a prosecution for breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act for the firm.
EDV Reinforcements Ltd attended Preston Magistrates’ Court this month and pleaded guilty to breaking health and safety regulations. They were fined £7,000.
4,000 manufacturing workers are injured in Britain every year according to official statistics.
