A firm has been fined £200,000 after a warehouse worker was crushed by a 700kg crate. The 29-year suffered two broken ribs, a punctured lung and a fractured vertebra in the accident at PSV Glass and Glazing Limited in Middleton.
The man was injured as he moved the crate of glass with the help of a workmate on June 16, 2021. They placed the crate on the top of a set of skates intending to push it across the warehouse at Stakehill Industrial Estate.
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But the crate became unbalanced and fell, trapping the worker underneath and badly injuring him. Six screws and a plate were later inserted to fix his vertebra.
A Health and Safety Executive investigation found PSV Glass and Glazing Limited's method of moving crates in the warehouse was hazardous. When a crate was balanced on the skates it became unstable, increasing the risk of it tipping.
The company also had no suitable risk assessment despite a previous similar incident, the HSE found. Had the warehouse been less congested, a more suitable method of moving the crates could have been used, such as a pallet handling truck, inspectors said.
PSV Glass & Glazing Limited, of Hillbottom Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act. The company was fined £200,000 and ordered to pay £4,897.05 costs at Manchester magistrates' court on May 26.
HSE inspector Sharon Butler said: "This incident could so easily have been avoided. Employers should ensure they carry out an assessment of the risks when moving and handling loads and that the correct equipment is identified and used."
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