Magnifying Glass
Back to Archives

Construction Companies Fined after Worker Fatality

15 Mar, 2012 WorkersCompensation.com

                               

A pair of construction companies has been fined a total of £65,000 ($103,000) after a British man was killed when a steel beam weighing more than a ton fell on him while it was being unloaded from a lorry. Construction safety is a problem worldwide.

 

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) announced its intention to prosecute Fisher Engineering and CM Structural Service as a result of an incident causing the death of French national Hugues Makambila who was working as a cleaner on the construction site at Harlequin Avenue, Brentford.

 

A lorry load of steel beams arrived on site and parked adjacent to a pedestrian walkway in an area not designated for unloading. An HSE investigation found that a company director of CM Structural Services Ltd had noticed a steel beam was hanging over the right side of the lorry, but no measures were taken to restrain the load or to prevent the beam from falling.

 

CM Structural Services Ltd began unloading the steel using a forklift truck but it did not put any measures into place to prevent people walking down the pavement nor did it put up any signs warning people that unloading was taking place.

 

During unloading, a steel beam weighing 1.382 tons fell from the lorry onto the pedestrian walkway and onto Makambila, from Bordeaux, who was on the pedestrian walkway of the site. He died instantly.

 

Fisher Engineering Ltd was responsible for the manufacture, delivery, and installation of the structural steelwork. In turn Fisher Engineering had contracted CM Structural Services Ltd to erect the steelwork.

 

Fisher Engineering Ltd, of Ballinamallard, Enniskillen, Northern Ireland was fined £50,000 ($80,000) and ordered to pay costs of £16,595 ($26,000). CM Structural Services Ltd, of Killynure Road, Carryduff, and Northern Ireland was fined approximately £15,000 ($24000) and ordered to pay costs of £12,692 ($20,000).
 
 
According to Inspector Lisa Chappell, "This tragic incident was easily preventable. The risks involved in the handling and delivery of steel stock are well known to those in the industry.

 

"Appropriate measures to control these hazards should have been in place, including ensuring there is effective communication between the duty holders responsible for planning and managing deliveries, inspecting deliveries upon arrival and providing a clearly defined exclusion zone where unloading can be carried out safely.(WCxKit)

 

"These measures are neither costly nor time consuming, yet the failures of the companies involved in this incident contributed to the death of a respected worker whose family continues to grieve the loss of a son, brother, and husband."

 

Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. He is an editor and contributor to Workers Compensation Management Program: Reduce Costs 20% to 50%. Contact: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.
 
 
WORKERS COMP MANAGEMENT GUIDEBOOK:  www.WCManual.com
WORK COMP CALCULATOR:  www.LowerWC.com/calculator.php
 
 
Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers comp issues.
 
©2012 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved under International Copyright Law. If you would like permission to reprint this material, contact us at: Info@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com.

    • Read Also

    Spencer Webinar Series: Serving the Injured Worker as a Team

    Spencer Webinar | Serving the Injured Worker as a Team (youtube.com)
    Autonomous Vehicles When? Thoughts and Commentary

    One of the biggest challenges that our society will experience in the next generation will be to transition from human driven cars to autonomous vehicles (AV). One only has to listen to the Beach Boys […]
    Employees Killed in Work Accidents Across Multiple States 

    Montgomery, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A food worker died in a warehouse accident last week, one of several industrial accident that took the lives of workers over the past few weeks.   The worker, an employee at […]

    About The Author

    • WorkersCompensation.com

    More by This Author

    Webinar: Building a Resilient Workforce

    Strategies for Workers’ Comp and Employee Well-being When: Aug. 7, 2 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. EDT Who: Dr. Claire Muselman from WorkersCompensation.com and Ian Colton from MedCall What: Join our webinar Building a Resilient Workforce, to […]
    IOH Announces Appointment of Scott Strickland as Chief Operating Officer (COO) 

    SAN DIEGO, CA — July 1, 2024 — Institutes of Health (“IOH”), a leading transdisciplinary Workers’ Compensation treatment organization focused on patients suffering from complex and chronic conditions, is delighted to announce the appointment of […]
    PhysNet Achieves Fifth Consecutive Year of SOC 2 Type II Certification

    Jacksonville, FL, June 3, 2024 – PhysNet proudly announces its attainment of SOC 2 Type II compliance for the fifth consecutive year, reinforcing its commitment to providing enterprise-level security for customer data within its cloud-based […]

    Read More

    Spencer Webinar Series: Serving the Injured Worker as a Team

    Spencer Webinar | Serving the Injured Worker as a Team (youtube.com)
    Autonomous Vehicles When? Thoughts and Commentary

    One of the biggest challenges that our society will experience in the next generation will be to transition from human driven cars to autonomous vehicles (AV). One only has to listen to the Beach Boys […]
    Employees Killed in Work Accidents Across Multiple States 

    Montgomery, MN (WorkersCompensation.com) – A food worker died in a warehouse accident last week, one of several industrial accident that took the lives of workers over the past few weeks.   The worker, an employee at […]
    Study Suggests Digital Tools Improve Pain Related Disability In Total Knee Replacement Patients

    Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) – With an increase in life expectancy, as well a surge in the age of workers over the age of 65, the numbers of patients with Osteoarthritis (OA) is rising as well.  […]
    How Wearable Tech and Virtual Care are Transforming Claims, from Engagement to Outcomes 

    Sarasota, FL (WorkersCompensation.com) — Last week’s National Workers’ Compensation and Disability Conference in Las Vegas set the stage for an impactful dialogue about the transformational potential of wearable technology and virtual care in the workers’ […]
    What Do You Think: Was Firing Nurse who Lost Fight with Door WC Retaliation? 

    Belleville, NJ (Workerscompensation.com). An employer’s action during the period after which an employee reports an injury and the date she is fired can go a long way to either showing retaliation or negating it.   A […]

    Request a Demo

    To request a free demo of one of our products, please fill in this form. Our sales team will get back to you shortly.