Magistrates fine firm after workers crushed by 18-tonne vehicle

A VEHICLE repair shop has been fined £20,000 after two of its staff were crushed by an 18-tonne vehicle.

Commercial Body Specialists in Tunstall pleaded guilty at North Staffordshire Magistrates’ Court to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It must also pay costs of £4,461.

A colleague of the two injured men was attempting to manoeuvre the vehicle in the work shop in January 2015 when the employees were pinned and crushed between the manoeuvring vehicle and two other stationary vehicles.

One worker suffered several fractures to his pelvis and ribs as well as internal bladder and kidney lacerations. The other worker suffered crush injuries to his legs.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive into the incident found that the company had failed to identify and assess workplace transport risks and had failed to put in place protective measures, safe systems of work and proper instruction and training to ensure employee pedestrian safety during vehicle movement.

A vehicle body manufacturing company in Stoke on Trent has been fined after two workers were seriously injured when they were crushed between a moving vehicle and stationary vehicles.