The employer of a machinery maintenance worker has been fined £160,000 after an employee sustained life changing injuries while undertaking a maintenance task. The worker was crushed beneath a loading shovel bucket while performing maintenance on the machinery the bucket was attached to.
How did it happen?
The injured worker had been tasked with repairing a hydraulic leak on a loading shovel. While he carried out the repair, the bucket of the machine unexpectedly dropped onto him. The crushing impact left him with devastating injuries, including a shattered pelvis, broken ribs, and multiple fractures to his leg and foot. He required three major operations and had to be airlifted to hospital. An investigation by the HSE revealed that the company had not completed a risk assessment for the task, had no safe systems of work in place for such maintenance, and had failed to provide proper information, instruction, or supervision. In simple terms, the work was being carried out without any formal precautions, meaning a foreseeable hazard went unaddressed until it caused catastrophic harm.
Key Risk Failings:
- The primary hazard was the crushing force of the loading shovel bucket, which weighed several tones and could fall suddenly if not properly secured.
- Hydraulic systems also carry stored energy, and if not isolated or depressurized, they can cause unexpected movement of moving machine parts.
- Without mechanical restraints or support, the bucket was left able to drop under gravity.
- The lack of lock-out and isolation procedures meant that the worker was in direct danger while carrying out his repair.
- The absence of risk assessment meant hazards had not been formally identified or controlled, and the lack of training and supervision left the worker vulnerable to an unsafe situation he could not reasonably prevent on his own.
Legal duties:
The company was found to be in breach of Section 2(1) of Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, which requires employers to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of employees. By failing to assess the risks, implement safe systems, and provide adequate training, the employer neglected its legal duty and was fined£160,000 with additional costs of over £7,000 and a victim surcharge of £2,000.
HSE Statement
HSE Inspector who led the investigation said “The absence of an appropriate risk assessment, method statement, training and supervision for this maintenance task created a scenario where someone could easily have been killed. Employers must ensure, as far as reasonably practicable, the safety of their employees. Where they fail to do so, HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action.”
Preventive Measures
Preventing incidents like this requires straightforward but essential safety measures. Every maintenance task should begin with a thorough risk assessment, identifying hazards such as crushing, stored hydraulic energy, and machine movement. A safe system of work should then be established, setting out step-by – step instructions to ensure that machine is fully isolated, depressurised, and immobilised before work begins.
Buckets or other heavy attachments must be mechanically supported with props or safety struts to eliminate the risk of falling under gravity. Workers must be trained in isolation procedures and the dangers of residual energy, and they should never be expected to carry out such tasks without content supervision. Regular refresher training and clear instructions are critical to reinforcing safe practices. Emergency planning, including recue arrangements and first-aid must also be in place to limit the consequences if something does go wrong. By applying basic principles of risk assessment, isolation, training and supervision, such incidents are not only avoidable but entirely preventable.
