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Telehandler drops boom lift onto site worker

17 Nov 15 Construction company Base Build Services Limited has been fined £10,000 after a worker was injured by a mobile work platform falling from the forks of a telehandler.

The 31-year-old worker from Birmingham broke his leg and suffered facial injuries in the incident at Abbey Trading Centre, Alvechurch Highway, Redditch on 19th November 2014.

Redditch Magistrates’ Court heard that the injured worker was employed by a groundworks contractor carrying out work for Base Build Services Limited. A mobile elevating work platform (MEWP) had been left in their area of work and needed to be moved to enable work to continue.  A telescopic handler was being used to move the MEWP when it fell from the forks and hit the worker.

An investigation by the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) found that Base Build Services was aware work was due to start in the area where the MEWP was stored and that its would need to be moved before work could continue.  However, no plan or instructions for its removal had been provided.

In addition, the lead labourer was standing by the telehandler during the lift and failed to stop it even though it was clearly unsafe.  The HSE investigation found that the telescopic handler was overloaded and the MEWP was not lifted in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions.

Base Build Services Limited, of Abbey Road, London, pleaded guilty to breaching regulation 22(1)(a) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007. It was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,647.92.

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