Transport company fined £133,00 after an employee fell from height

A transport company has been prosecuted and fined after an employee suffered multiple injuries. The company pleaded guilty to breaching s.2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The employee fell after climbing the side of the conveyor to clear a blockage that occurred. The fall caused the employee to sustain multiple injuries which included several broken ribs, punctured lung and liver damage.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found that the conveyor system became blocked on several occasions during a shift. The workers routinely cleared the blockages by climbing onto the conveyor which meant they were regularly working at height without any protective systems in place. They were using their hands to clear the blockages which put the workers in direct contact with machinery.

There was no safe system of work in place for clearing blockages. This was a hazardous activity that was not assessed or controlled and ultimately led to an employee sustaining serious injuries. It is a legal requirement to conduct suitable and sufficient risk assessments and have safe systems of work in place.