Industry news
Breach caused grab machine death
Posted Mon, 13 Feb 2012
The employer of a man who died after being crushed by a grab machine at work has been ordered to pay fines and costs of more than £190,000.
Skipton-based construction company JN Bentley Ltd, pleaded guilty to breaching Health and Safety regulations following the death of 23-year old Steven Allen. The Keighley man, who was part of a team working for Bradford Council in Manningham in 2007, suffered massive head injuries when he became trapped in the jaws of a grab machine being wrongly used to move a pallet of bags containing cement.
Bradford Crown Court heard that workers used a block grab attached to an excavator to move some 30 cement bags. The bags fell to the ground, but the pallet remained stuck in the jaws of the machine. Mr Allen attempted to pull it free but as the pallet dislodged, the jaws dropped and clamped on his head. Mr Allen died in hospital the next day.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the case and prosecuted the company for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. They were fined £106,250 and ordered to pay costs of £90,000.
Copyright Press Association 2012