Four-car pile-up causes injury in South West

January 22nd, 2012

A woman is suffering from whiplash symptons after being involved in a four-car pile-up on the Tamar Bridge, This Is Plymouth reports.

Holidaymakers heading for the South West on Saturday experienced lengthy tailbacks on the major road bridge at Saltash following the incident.

The Tamar Bridge has long been a popular road for beach-goers as it connects the counties of Cornwall and Devon.

The woman, who has not been named, was wearing a neck brace as a precautionary measure as she was driven by ambulance to Derriford Hospital after being struck in the low-speed crash.

Extensive emergency services teams were called to the scene following the pile up that occurred just before 11.40am. Eye-witnesses say that one lane of the busy holiday route was closed while police and paramedics attended to the drivers of a Peugeot 307, Peugeot 207, a grey Rover and a grey Vauxhall Astra.

Firefighters were also called out to douse the crashed vehicles with water as a precautionary measure. All teams left the scene of the accident by around 12.40pm, a police spokesperson additionally confirmed in a This Is Devon report.

Aside the whiplash injuries sustained by the woman, there were no other reported injuries. According to the local press, no further action is to be taken by the police.

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Firm fined after worker falls through school skylight

January 17th, 2012

A roofing firm has been fined £10,000 after an employee fell through the roof of a school, sustaining head and spinal injuries.

Twenty-four-year-old Chris Buck, from Brighouse in West Yorkshire, tripped on cables and fell through the skylight of the Reddish Vale Technology College, Stockport in June 2010.

His employer, Ploughcroft Building Services, was issued the fine following a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation. It confirmed poor safety regulations led to the accident and were held as the key reason for the prosecution.

The News Distribution Service reports that Mr Buck fell from a height of 2.6 metres into a concrete floor below, sustaining severe head and spinal injuries.

Mr Buck says that he no longer has the confidence to do this job again; claiming that he is now “frightened and scared to get on a roof or even climb a ladder.” It is not known whether he made a work accident claim as a result of the fall.

Ploughcroft Building Services admitted breaching Regulation 9 (2) (a) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 by failing to prevent the worker falling through the skylight – despite just six weeks earlier, the firm being told to provide the crucial safety barriers necessary to work safely at height, the Construction Index adds.

Speaking after the hearing at Trafford Magistrates Court, HSE inspector Sandra Tomlinson said: “This incident could easily have resulted in one of Ploughcroft’s employees being paralysed or even killed.

“Despite surviving, the injuries he’s suffered mean he has lost the confidence to be able to return to work as a roofer. There were children walking under the skylight just minutes before he fell through it, so other individuals were also put at risk by Ploughcroft’s actions.”

Posted in Employers Liability | No Comments »

Firm fined after worker impaled

January 10th, 2012

A mineral firm has been fined thousands of pounds after a freak work accident left an employee impaled on a machine.

Medical staff have told Simon Lowe, employed by Dupre Minerals Ltd in Chesterton, that he could end up wheelchair-bound as his injuries were so severe. They said he was lucky to survive.

The 30-year old was loading bags of an insulation mineral on to a machine when he noticed a blockage at the machine’s grill. He climbed up on the grill to clear the blockage manually, but slipped and fell on spikes – which were used to tear the bags open.

According to hse.gov.uk, Mr Lowe suffered multiple injuries; including puncture wounds, a broken pelvis, cuts and a fractured spine. Whether or not Mr Lowe will launch a claim for workplace accidents compensation is not yet determined.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Dupre Minerals Ltd had failed to provide sufficient training and information regarding use of the machinery. Also, no adequate controls were in place to stop works gaining access to dangerous mechanics.

The company was found guilty of breaching health and safety regulations on two counts. It was subsequently fined £5,000.

Speaking after the hearing, managing director Richard Goodwin told This Is Staffordshire: “As a company, we regret that the accident at Dupre Minerals Ltd occurred and that our employee was injured.

“We are a good company that invests in health and safety, and this is the first such prosecution that we have faced.”

The firm has already carried out a full review of its health and safety procedures. It has made improvements to CCTV, employee-management communication and installing fences around machinery.

Posted in Occupiers Liability | No Comments »

Farm worker fined after crushing neighbour

January 10th, 2012

A farm owner has been prosecuted for operating a telehandler which she was not trained to use, reports hse.gov.uk. 

76-year old Frances Greenslade was driving the telehandler to move silage bales on her farm in Wiveliscombe, Taunton, from the farmyard to the cattle shed.

While holding the last bale in the grab of the telehandler, she asked her neighbour, John Morrish, to help remove some plastic wrapping so that it could be given to cattle for food.

However, as Mr Morrish was obeying instructions, Mrs Greenslade moved the telehandler, crushing Mr Morrish between the vehicle and the feed barrier.

He sustained serious injuries due to the impact, breaking his ribs and puncturing a lung. Whether or not Mr Morrish will pursue an accident compensation claim is undetermined. 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), prosecuting, told magistrates in Taunton how Mrs Greenslade had not been trained to use the vehicle and under normal circumstances, it would have been used by a trained farm worker who was unavailable that day. 

Mrs Greenslade was accused and pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc act 1974. She was fined £6,000.

Commenting after the hearing, HSE inspector, Tony Makin, told the Construction Index: “Telehandlers are very useful machines for farm work, but all too often they can cause incidents when people use them without formal training.

“Because they can be so dangerous, it’s a legal requirement that anyone using these machines is properly trained to do so.”

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The Accident Prevention Police

January 5th, 2012

Having spent the last 20 plus years of my life helping accident victims to rebuild their lives, I understand what a devastating impact an accident can have on someone’s life. Therefore, anything I can do to prevent accidents and minimise their impact is a high priority for me. Therefore, we offer free head restraint (headrest) adjustment guides which we post out to all new enquirers and anyone else who wants one which shows people how to best adjust their head restraing to minimise the impact of any whiplash injury (simply call us free on 0800 142 2778 if you would like us to post one to you). However, I am also constantly picking up items from supermarket floors, as it never ceases to amaze me how much is left waiting to cause an accident. From alerting staff to water spills which have clearly been there for some time, to picking up and moving dropped fruit, discarded paper and cardboard, it is very rare for me to walk around a supermarket and not pick up or move a potentially dangerous object from the floor.

My wife thinks I am slighly strange doing this, but I have seen people with horrendous fractures of arms and legs from simply slipping on a grape or some water on the floor. Although we are here to help people that are injured, I see it as a key part of mine and Loyalty Law’s duty to prevent accidents whenever possible. My pick up count for this week is three, and it is only Friday so I am sure there will be more to be done at the weekend! If you see a man walking around your supermarket picking up fruit or kicking pieces of paper underneath a counter out of harm’s reach, it may well be me so please say hello.

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