Dangerous platform lift lands fines

Blues Tyres Birmingham Limited – based at Unit 13, 201 Coventry Road, Small Heath – was fined £26,677 fine and ordered to pay £3,751.35p costs and £170 victim surcharge. The firm’s landlord 365 Services Limited, based at 18-22 Stoney Lane, Yardley – was fined £16,666 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs and £170 victim surcharge.

Birmingham City Council brought the prosecution following a routine inspection on 14 February 2019, where a large platform lift at Blue Tyres Birmingham Limited was found to be dangerous with a safety gate missing and a safety interlock and mains control panel bypassed, resulting in a Prohibition Notice.

Whilst inspecting another business on 4 June 2019, a council Health and Safety inspector found the mains power to the lift had been switched back on; it had been used without the defects rectified.

365 Services Limited was prosecuted under the Section 4 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, while Blues Tyres Birmingham Limited was prosecuted under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Cllr Philip Davis, Chair of the city council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: “In this case, the lift was still being used months after it was identified as being dangerous to use by a health and safety inspector. Both companies are very fortunate no harm came to any persons using the lift after the Prohibition Notice was served.

“Falling from height is a well-known cause of serious or fatal injuries, our officers will continue to take action where minimum standards of health and safety are not met or flouted.”