Halifax worker left disabled by crush injuries
Posted: February 19, 2013
Posted in: Spine & Back Injuries Workplace Injuries
A West Yorkshire firm has been sentenced for serious safety failings after a worker was left with life-threatening injuries when a 6.5 tonnes steel beam toppled onto his back.
The weight of the beam crushed his spine and torso, leaving him with irreversible spinal and nerve damage.
The worker was in hospital for five months. Although he regained some movement in his legs, he is largely confined to a wheelchair, still needs intensive therapy and is unlikely to be able to work again.
The company pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. It was fined £8,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 toward costs.
The latest statistics from HSE for 2011/12 show that there were 31 deaths, more than 3,400 major injuries and some 14,000 minor injuries recorded within the manufacturing industries.
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