Three companies have been fined after a lift truck engineer was seriously injured while working at Pirelli Tyres’ factory in Carlisle.
Ivan Weightman sustained fractures to his back and leg when two heavy metal skips fell on top of him, trapping the 47-year-old against the ground on 14 November 2019.
Mr Weightman was servicing a fork lift truck that was parked up against a stack of waste tyres on a stillage. Two metal skips were positioned on top of the stack. In order to work on the truck, Mr Weightman moved the vehicle a short distance away from the stack. As he then walked to the front of the truck, which was leased by International Rubber and Tyre Recycling Limited, both skips fell from the stack and trapped him against the floor.
A HSE investigation found the skips were routinely placed on the tyres so they will be reduced in size prior to them being transported off site. The truck was positioned to stabilise the skips. This improvised working method was approved by Pirelli, and carried out by workers at International Rubber and Tyre Recycling Limited and DCS Multiserve Limited . There had been no effective control over access to the truck and the ignition key was routinely left in the cab. There was a lack of clarity over which contractor was responsible for this activity and as a result no risk assessment had been made and no safe system of work existed.
Pirelli Tyres Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 11(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined £280,000 and ordered to pay £4,703.43 in costs at Crown Court on 10 May 2024.
International Rubber and Tyre Recycling Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 11(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined £9,000 and ordered to pay £4,566.13 in costs at Crown Court on 10 May 2024.
DCS Multiserve Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 11(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. The company was fined £2,600 and ordered to pay £15,000 in costs at Crown Court on 10 May 2024.
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