Sheffield Firm Fined £60,000 After Worker Crushed by Heavy Pallet
A Sheffield company has been fined after a worker suffered severe injuries from an 800kg pallet
Sheffield, UK, Amber Precast Ltd, Health and Safety, Workplace Injury
Sheffield: A company in Sheffield has been hit with a hefty £60,000 fine after a worker’s legs were crushed by a massive 800kg steel pallet. Ouch!
The unfortunate guy, Wayne Hatton, was just doing his job at the Amber Precast Ltd factory when the accident happened on January 14, 2021. He was 46 at the time and ended up losing part of his leg and two toes. Talk about a life-changing moment!
Wayne had only recently started as a supervisor, and during a night shift, the pallet was being taken out of a concrete cast. Unfortunately, it wasn’t secured properly, which led to the whole thing going wrong.
After the accident, Wayne spent a whopping seven weeks in the hospital. Now at 50, he’s got a prosthetic leg to help him get around. It’s a tough situation for him and his family.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) looked into what went down and found that the pallet wasn’t secured to the crane’s lifting chains. That’s a big no-no! They also discovered that the company didn’t have a solid plan in place for safely removing the pallet.
Amber Precast Ltd admitted they messed up and pleaded guilty to breaching safety regulations. They were fined and also had to cover some costs. HSE inspector Jane Fox pointed out that this whole incident could have been avoided if the company had just provided proper training and safety measures.
It’s a real reminder that safety should always come first in the workplace. Let’s hope this serves as a wake-up call for others!