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Engineering firm fined £16,000 plus costs after worker sustains head injury

An engineering firm has been fined after a worker suffered a serious head injury whilst assembling a steel frame.

Kidderminster Magistrates’ Court heard how, on 12 March 2018, a Quantum Engineering Developments Limited employee was injured when a steel frame he was assembling came off two supporting battens and fell on him pinning his head to the floor. The worker suffered a fractured skull and nerve damage as a result.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company did not have a safe system of work in place and there were no risk assessments for assembly work. The company also failed to provide information, instruction and training regarding the risks of working below heavy components and the precautions necessary to ensure safety.  The steel frame should have been securely mounted on wheels to keep it safe when employees worked below it, but at the time of the incident it had been supported on wooden battens.

Quantum Engineering Developments Limited of Saxon Business Park, Bromsgrove,  Worcestershire pleaded guilty to breaching section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and has been fined £16,000 and ordered to pay costs of £1,687.75.

Speaking after the case, HSE inspector Alastair Mitchell said: “This case highlights the importance of assessing risks in assembly work and the need to ensure safe systems of work when carrying out tasks below heavy components.

“Quantum Engineering Developments Limited failed to assess the risks and had not instructed their employees about safe systems of work to be used. This failure led to an employee being seriously injured.”

Mr Yarranton-Green, the injured employee, stated “I can’t even begin to put into words how this stressful and testing time had impacted me and my family.”

Compensation for injuries is only part of the story when accidents at work occur.   Social, domestic and financial strain can be a worrying burden on those affected; here at Work Claims Bureau, we strive to make sure that as well as seeking a just award of redress, the rehabilitation, occupational therapy, care and assistance needs of our clients are addressed in a professional and sensitive manner.

If you or someone you know has been injured in an accident at work, call our team today on 0808 256 5184 or use our online form and one of our helpful team will be in touch.

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If you’ve had an accident at work, you should get in touch with our specialist team as soon as possible.  We’ll take the details we need and explain the next steps. We always recommend you take the following steps, but don’t worry if there’s something here you haven’t done:

  • Complete an accident report and inform your Health and Safety representative at work
  • If you are still in pain, shock, or distress when the report is completed, do not sign it.
  • Keep details of anyone who witnessed the accident.
  • If possible, as soon as you can, ask your Health and Safety representative to take photos of the scene and make them available to you.
  • Write down your recollection of exactly what happened in the accident, including the location and approximate time.

Work Claims Bureau prides itself on progressing your claim promptly whenever it is possible to do so. No two claims are the same. How long your claim lasts is dependent on a number of factors, including:

  • The prognosis for your injuries
  • The conduct of all parties involved
  • Whether your employer admits they were at fault or if we need to fight your case on your behalf

Bearing this in mind, work accident claims typically take between 6 months and 24 months to conclude.  However, this is not ‘written in stone’, and they can last a shorter or longer time than this.

Your employer faces further culpability if they take disciplinary action against you or terminate your employment simply because you make an honest claim for personal injury. There is legislation in place to protect you. You are doing the right thing in reporting your accident and formally submitting a claim, both for yourself and for your employer in helping prevent similar accidents happening in the future.

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