Contractor fell during unplanned task

Manchester Magistrates’ Court heard that, on 30 July 2020, a contractor for Manufax Engineering Limited was working on top of the Correa machine which had an access gantry to reach the top.

However, the maintenance task he was carrying out meant he had to step outside of the gantry to reach a particular part of the machine. While outside the gantry he lost his balance and fell.  As he fell, he tried to grab the top of the machine but failed and fell 3.9 metres resulting in a fractured right elbow, two fractured ribs and two pelvis fractures.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the company had no safe system of work for the task that was being carried out, there was a lack of supervision and no formal monitoring system in place to ensure that employees and contractors were working safely on site.  The task was not planned, supervised, or carried out in a safe manner.

Manufax Engineering Limited of Cromer Street in Stockport, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and was fined £26,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,205.42.

HSE inspector, Stephanie Simcock, said after the hearing, “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out correct control measures and safe working practices. Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related injury and fatality in this country and the risks associated with working at height are well known.”