1.4 tonne steel beam falls on welder

Grant Prior 12 years ago
Share

Steel manufacturer Condor Allslade has been prosecuted after a welder was crushed by a falling 1.4 tonne steel beam at its Portsmouth plant.

The 64-year-old man, who does not wish to be named, was airlifted to Southampton hospital after being crushed by the toppling steel beam on June 10 2011.

He suffered numerous injuries including a fractured skull, two crushed discs in his back, a broken knee and ankle bones, as well as a blood clot on his lung.

Portsmouth magistrates heard the victim was working on a steel beam that was sitting unsecured on a metal trolley.

He was manoeuvring an overhead crane when the hook of the crane struck the beam and sent it toppling from the trolley.

He remained in hospital for a month and is still having to undergo surgery and treatment two years later.

An HSE investigation found the company had not carried out a proper assessment of the risks involved in that particular work process, and so had failed to put in simple safety measures that would have prevented beams from being knocked and becoming dangerously unstable.

Condor Allslade was fined £16,000 and ordered to pay £5,074 in costs.

After the sentencing, HSE Inspector Craig Varian said: “The painful and debilitating consequences of these dreadful injuries will be with this man for the rest of his life.

“The term ‘risk assessment’ is often lambasted as a technicality or part of a tick-box exercise. However, the true meaning of the term and its importance are very starkly demonstrated in this case.

“Had Condor Allslade undertaken a risk assessment and then taken the action necessary to mitigate the risks, the incident could have been avoided.

“In this case, inexpensive and easy-to-implement solutions were available and the company did put measures in place after the incident. Sadly that was too late to prevent an individual needlessly suffering multiple injuries.”

Latest news

Construction T Level scrapped due to lack of demand

Courses canned after less than 100 sign-up for latest round
3 hours ago

Bid rigging probe launched into school repair work

Firms raided this week with focus on roofing contracts
1 day ago

McLaren hires ex-ISG regional boss for north east expansion

Andrew Beaumont becomes MD of new Yorkshire and North East business
12 hours ago

Government commits to four new prisons in seven years

£2.3bn pledged for new prison build programme
1 day ago

Road and rail delays hit revenue at Van Elle

Turnover drops 5% as markets remain challenging for piling specialist
11 hours ago

Boot reports ‘noticeable improvement’ in planning system

Government planning reforms already unblocking council planning
11 hours ago

Go-ahead to revamp former London city hall

Project will straighten the building's leaning profile with terraces to every level
19 hours ago

United Living to divert Midlands gas pipeline

600m pipeline diversion clears way for M54 to M6 link road construction
10 hours ago

Credit insurance saves Billington from ISG hit

Steel specialist puts on extra shifts at its plants to cope with demand
1 day ago

M&E specialist Dodd doubles profit on retrofit surge

Family-owned Telford specialist delivers record revenue of nearly £250m
1 day ago

Go-ahead for 800-home Croydon dual towers

One Lansdowne Road build to rent scheme to cost £260m to build
1 day ago

Construction inflation set to return raising tender prices

End of 2024 to mark the bottom of present inflationary trough
1 day ago

Start date for vast Balfour and Costain carbon capture power job

£4bn Teesside project to start construction next year creating 3,000 jobs
2 days ago

Plans go in to start revamp of North Finchley town centre

Developer Regal unveils first details of Barnet masterplan
1 day ago

Glencar bags £18m Big Yellow London store

Six-storey stoarage centre to be built at Staples Corner
1 day ago

Plan unveiled for 31-storey London Fenchurch Street tower

Demolition work to start in 2026 for new office tower
2 days ago

Vinci Building buys tower cranes for first time

Contractor invests in two WOLFFKRAN all-electric cranes at £138m Sheffield site
2 days ago

30 local firms land United Utilities £500m framework

Minor works deal win for North West civils and M&E specialists
2 days ago

Restructure pays off as Higgins returns to profit

Housing contractor recovers from £25.9m loss last year
2 days ago

Former Heathrow boss joins Mace in board rejig

Firm completes string NED appointments to expanded group board
3 days ago

Planning officers to get powers to bypass committee stage for housing

Rayner reform plan to cut out local council planning committees
3 days ago

National Insurance hike to delay construction recovery

Arcadis paints varied picture with full recovery delayed until 2026
3 days ago

Gratte Bros rides out cost rises with profit increase

M&E specialist warns of further upward pressure on wage costs
3 days ago

Sellar’s 36-storey London City office tower approved

Demolition work to start in 2026 at 60 Gracechurch Street site
5 days ago

Roofers caught using phone lights to work at night

Roofing boss handed suspended prison sentence for lack of edge protection
3 days ago

£380m North West housing framework out for bid

St Helens-based Torus aims to build 9,000 homes by 2029
3 days ago

Historic property magazine to close

Estates Gazette has been in business since 1858
6 days ago

M&S Marble Arch rebuild approved after three-year planning fight

Plans were delayed when Michael Gove backed carbon campaigners
1 week ago

£191m revamp funding approved for London Barbican Centre

Construction to start in 2027 on five-year programme
7 days ago

RED Construction tops £100m turnover

Builder maintains profit margin at 1.7% as business nearly doubles in size
6 days ago

Contractor services