Firm fined £20,000 after injuries
A motor component maker has been fined £20,000 after a worker's thigh bone was shattered by the dropping of a 31-tonne load from a crane.
Chester Crown Court heard that Andrew Burrell and two other employees were working the night shift when chains on the overhead crane gave way. Part of the crane was pulled from roof mountings and fell nearly five metres to the ground. The crane's hook landed on Mr Burrell's left leg, shattering his thigh bone.
Mr Burrell, 43, from Winsford, had a metal rod inserted in his leg due to the injuries. He was with two other employees working the night shift at the time of the incident.
Mitras Automotive (UK) Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident at its factory on the Winsford Industrial Estate on May 21 2009. The HSE found the chains were only designed to lift a maximum of 17 tonnes - just over half the weight of the load - and the crane was only capable of lifting a 27-tonne load.
Mitras Automotive (UK) Ltd admitted failing to ensure the lifting capacity of the chains was clearly marked, and failing to look after the safety of its workers. The company was ordered to pay £8,792 in prosecution costs on March 31. It was charged with breaching the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, and the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.