- WORKER HAS RIGHT TO DEMAND FURTHER REDRESS
Scotland’s top personal injury firm and health and safety campaigners, Thompsons Solicitors, has welcomed the news that a recycling company in Ayr received an £80,000 fine for breaking the Health and Safety at Work Act after one of its employees was crushed between two skips. The firm said that the fine should act as a clear warning to companies who ignore health and safety in the workplace.
Lowmac Alloys Ltd was fined following an investigation from the Health and Safety Executive which revealed that lack of health and safety measures led to Steven Graham being crushed between two skips.
On 26 August 2009, Mr Graham was standing between two skips when a shovel loader weighing more than 18 tonnes hit one of them pushing the two skips together and crushing him. He suffered a broken pelvis and severe, life changing injuries and still continues to have trouble walking.
According to a Health and Safety Executive investigation, the company had violated a number of workplace safety requirements including failing to risk assess traffic management on the site, a lack of barriers or road markings to separate pedestrian workers from the shovel loader and other vehicles. The drivers had never been formally trained and had no training whatsoever in health and safety. Additionally, the investigation revealed that staff found the portable toilet so filthy that they urinated in the yard – the reason why Mr Graham was between the two skips at the time of the accident.
Partner at Thompsons Solicitors and health and safety campaigner, Patrick McGuire, said:
“This should act as a warning to other companies who ignore health and safety in the workplace. People rightly expect to come home from a day’s work in the same state in which they went to work. It’s a simple goal but all too often this doesn’t happen.
“This event has no doubt changed Mr Graham’s life. His employers were clearly at fault for his injuries and he has a right to demand compensation to help him get his life back together.
“At Thompsons our personal injury experts help support people through what can be one of their toughest challenges in life- recovering from injury. It can turn your life and those of your family upside down.
“We will get the best compensation in the quickest possible time to make recovery that little bit easier.”
