Company fined after man loses legs in Essex work accident
14/08/2012
A berth operator at the Port of Tilbury has been fined £20,000 after worker was forced to have both legs amputated following a serious work accident in March 2010.
William James suffered serious crush injuries in the incident, which happened when he was knocked down by a 45ft container being lowered by a reach stacker. The driver of the machinery failed to see the victim and continued to lower the item onto his legs.
In a hearing at Basildon Crown Court, it was revealed that berth operator Stanton Grove Ltd had failed to ensure the safety of Mr James while he was working in the location. The company admitted to breaching legislation in relation to the incident.
Sally Rissbrook, a workplace injury expert at Irwin Mitchell who represents people left with life-changing injuries as a result of accidents at work, said there were significant lessons to be learned from the incident.
She outlined: “Through our work helping workplace injury victims gain justice in relation to gain answers and secure funds which allow them to access vital rehabilitation and support, we have seen just how devastating incidents of this kind can be on both victims and their families.
“Health and safety must always come first in the workplace but this case, like so many we see, highlights how many employers still fail to act on this issue – often with massive consequences.
“We hope that the outcome of this case will help to raise awareness of the importance of safety and ensure that employers recognise the importance of putting measures in place to protect their staff from any potential harm.”
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