Hydraulics company is fined after worker’s leg is amputated
A national hydraulics company has been fined almost £100,000 after an employee’s legs were trapped in a machine while working at a customer’s premises in Plymouth, which led to one being amputated.
David Lawrence, a 63-year-old engineer, was undertaking fault finding on a laser cutting machine for Pearson Hydraulics, on 26 July 2023, when the cutting bed of the machine dropped and trapped both of his legs.
After spending five weeks in hospital, Mr Lawrence had to have his right leg amputated above the knee. Despite extensive surgery to save his left leg, Mr Lawrence faces the possibility of having it amputated in the future.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Pearson Hydraulics did not have a safe system of work in place for maintenance activities carried out by its engineers at its customer’s premises.
It failed to carry out a suitable and sufficient risk assessment of the work to be undertaken by Mr Lawrence and there had been a “total failure” to monitor and supervise his work.
The investigation also identified that Mr Lawrence had not been adequately trained by his employer and that his knowledge of hydraulic systems on laser cutting machinery was inadequate, preventing him from carrying out the work safely.
Pearson Hydraulics, of Electric Avenue, Witham St Hughes, Lincoln, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £96,333 and ordered to pay £10,701 in costs at Plymouth Magistrates’ Court.
HSE inspector Emma O’Hara said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided with the correct risk assessment and implementation of a safe working procedure. Pearson Hydraulics left its employees to work out their own methods of completing fault finding and maintenance tasks, instead of providing them with suitable training and supervision so it could be done safely every time.”
This HSE prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Andrew Siddall and paralegal officer Imogen Isaac with counsel Alan Fuller.
