Scissor lifts can be dangerous

Clark & Fenn Skanska Ltd, of Ricksmansworth, Hertfordshire, have been fined £5,000 with £11,348 costs as a result of two workers being injured when a scissor lift fell over.

The workers, who have asked not to be named, fell about 7m during construction of Derby’s Westfield shopping centre in 2007 when the scissor lift they were using to transport plasterboards between floor levels overturned.

One of the men suffered a fractured pelvis and cheekbone, broken nose and heavy bruising, while his colleague suffered a fractured skull, eye socket, elbow and thumb, as well as also sustaining heavy bruising. Both men were hospitalised and had significant periods off work.

A Health & Safety Executive (HSE) investigation determined the men were using the wrong type of equipment to transport the plasterboards. Clark & Fenn Skanska admitted breaching regulation 8(1) of the Lifting Operations & Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 by failing to ensure the lifting of materials was properly planned, supervised and carried out in a safe manner.

Watch out when pouring concrete

Design firm Bridgford Interiors Ltd of Lichfield, Staffordshire, have been fined £25,000 with £23,392 costs at the Old Bailey in London after two men were injured while carrying out refurbishment work at a TK Maxx outlet in Hounslow.

Three men were pouring concrete to fill in an opening in the first floor that had been left when stairs and an escalator were removed.

They had only just begun to pour the concrete when temporary propping supposed to support the underside of the decking collapsed. The men fell 4.8m to the floor below, and were all taken to hospital. One had a dislocated shoulder, another a fractured pelvis and elbow. The third was not seriously injured.

Bridgford Interiors pleaded guilty to breaching section 3(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974.