Cement Company Fined After Worker Crushed by Lifting Concrete Weight

Brief Summary

A worker was killed at a cement bagging plant when he was crushed by machinery using a 1.6 tonne concrete weight to lift pallets carrying 25 kg bags of cement. An investigation found that a large section of perimeter fencing was repeatedly removed, allowing access to dangerous moving parts. The employer pleaded guilty to breaching its duties under health and safety law and received a fine and costs.

What Was The Incident?

At a cement bagging plant, a worker was working with equipment used to raise pallets loaded with 25 kg bags of cement. He was later found crushed to death by a 1.6 tonne concrete weight associated with the lifting machinery.

What Was The Outcome?

The employer pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. It was fined £1 million and ordered to pay £9,621 in costs. The enforcement action followed an HSE finding that dangerous parts of the machinery were accessible due to routinely removed perimeter fencing.

Key Points To Consider

Prevent access to dangerous machinery parts. Employers must take effective measures to stop people gaining access to dangerous moving parts of machinery, especially where the risk could result in serious injury or death.

Use suitable physical safeguards. Where possible, access prevention should be achieved through fixed guards rather than relying on arrangements that can be undermined or bypassed.

Treat fencing and barriers as critical controls. Routine removal of perimeter fencing over time indicates a control failure, and it must be addressed as a matter of immediate health and safety management.

Assume safeguards can be defeated without robust arrangements. If there are repeated opportunities for dangerous access to occur, the system is not secure enough and further controls or redesign are needed to maintain protection.

Review whether protection matches the real risk. This incident highlights that machinery used for lifting heavy loads needs proportionate guarding and access prevention that remains effective in everyday operation.

HSE Prosecution Link