Personal Injury Solicitors

A Cardiff-based steel firm has been successfully prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after an employee died when a two-tonne steel beam fell on him and crushed him at a warehouse in Cardiff, South Wales.

Mark Walker – a 37-year-old father of one from Newport in South Wales – suffered fatal injuries while attempting to move a steel beam onto a conveyor at the warehouse in Trident Industrial Park, Cardiff on 24 June 2012.

The HSE prosecuted Mr Walker’s employer, CMC UK Ltd, following an investigation into the incident.

HSE inspectors found that Mr Walker had been working alone and was to use the computer controlled saw for the first time.

He had to separate H-beam columns which were stacked and ready to be put onto the conveyor that fed the saw. The stacked columns were 16 metres long and weighed more than two tonnes each.

Mr Walker lifted one end of a column with an overhead crane – and put two wooden bearers in the middle, while he positioned himself between the columns to pull the hoist chains through.

While he was doing this, the wooden bearers gave way and the top column fell on Mr Walker, who was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident.

HSE’s investigation found there were no instructions on how to split and lift the columns safely, and Mr Walker – an experienced warehouseman – had not been given training for this task.

HSE inspectors also discovered that there was no safe system of work for splitting or separating columns – the investigation concluded the safest way would have been to separate them at floor level, or in a purpose built rack, before placing them on the conveyor table.

On Tuesday, 29 September at Cardiff Crown Court, CMC UK Ltd – of Trident Industrial Park, Glass Avenue in Cardiff – pleaded guilty to breaching health and safety at work legislation and was fined a total of £112,500 and ordered to pay £96,000 in costs.

After the hearing, HSE Inspector Dean Baker said:

“Mark Walker tragically lost his life in this avoidable incident.

“The company did not adequately plan the work that Mark was tasked with –
and expected a number of employees to separate large steel columns at waist height.

“They should have identified the risk of these columns falling – and ensured that the columns were separated at floor level or in a suitable rack.

“Had the lifting operation been properly planned and appropriately supervised – and employees given adequate training – Mr Walker would still be alive.”

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Duncan Lewis is a leading firm of personal injury solicitors able to advise those injured in industrial accidents as a result of negligence on how to make a no win no fee claim for compensation.

Claims for industrial injury compensation have to be made within three years of an incident causing injury – or within three years of diagnosis of injury.

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For expert legal advice on no win no fee Industrial Injury Claims, call Duncan Lewis personal injury solicitors on 020 7923 4020.