recent rulings

SAFE SYSTEMS OF WORK - £100K FINE FOR CRANE COLLAPSE

One of the UK's largest plant hire companies has been fined £100,000 after admitting flouting health and safety rules which left a crane driver with crippling injuries.

John Young suffered severe spinal injuries after the cab of the crane fell through the air and crashed onto the roof of the Croydon Park Hotel in June 2007.

The crane was building the Altitude 25 apartment block for Howard Holdings when the crane's arm toppled backwards 200 feet in the air and broke free from its base before crashing onto the roof of the neighbouring hotel.

Three other workers were left stranded on the top of the crane's base for five hours as firefighters from Croydon fire station launched a massive rescue operation.

Select Plant Hire Company Ltd admitted breaching regulation 9(2) (b) and 8(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations

1998; regulation 9(2) of the Provision and use of work Equipment Regulations 1998; and s 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work, etc Act 1974.

IIRSM NEWSLETTER NOVEMBER 2009