Water firm fined for crush accident
02/03/2010
A water company has been fined after an employee sustained serious injuries while working at a treatment works site in Suffolk.
Robert Ayers was crushed between a loading bucket and cab of a skid steer loader at Northumbria Water's Lound Water site in March 2008.
While getting into the cab, Mr Ayers slipped and pressed the control to raise the vehicle's bucket. After becoming trapped, he suffered crush injuries and permanent scarring.
Lowestoft Magistrates' Court heard that Mr Ayers spent three days in intensive care.
Northumbria Water, which owns and operates Essex and Suffolk Water, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Health and Safety Act.
It was fined £17,000 and ordered to pay £17,000 costs.
The Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) said the device that usually stops the bucket being raised when there is no one in the driver's seat of the vehicle was found to be faulty.
It also found that Mr Ayers and other employees had also not received adequate training in the use of the vehicle.
HSE inspector Richard Hines said: "Mr Ayers is very lucky to have escaped with his life from this incident because similar incidents with other companies have resulted in employees being crushed to death. It was a simple example of faulty equipment and insufficient training creating a potential disaster."
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