14/09/2010 - Firm fined after two staff injured
After two members of staff were badly injured in separate incidents less than three months apart, a Troon sawmilling firm has been fined a total of £28,000.
John Wilson, 55, of Dalmellington, Ayrshire, fell through a gap in a raised walkway left open after work had been carried out on a conveyor belt below, on May 28, 2007 at Adam Wilson and Sons in Troon, Ayrshire.
At the same plant, 59-year-old Robert Cumming had his head trapped between the metal parts of a hoist after it was switched on while he was working on it, on August 24, 2007.
There were not safe systems of work in place for maintaining the conveyor belt, or the hoist machine, a Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found.
The investigation also found that staff had not been given enough information, training, instruction and supervision on the importance of safe systems of work and machinery isolation when doing maintenance work.
Adam Wilson and Sons Limited, of Harbour Road, Troon, Ayrshire, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Section 2(1), 2(2)(a) in the May incident, and to breaching Section 2(1), 2(2)(a) and (c) in the August incident.
They were fined £8,000 for the first incident, £20,000 for the second incident.
Copyright © Press Association 2010
Related links
|
