Alison Fava, www.shponline.co.uk

A manufacturing firm in Worcestershire has been fined after a worker suffered crush injuries when wooden panels fell onto him.

On 8 April 2017, the employee of Global Displays Limited was injured when a stack of panels toppled over and crushed him. Several smaller panels were resting against untied, upright 4m x 1m panels, causing the whole stack to become unstable. The worker suffered a dislocated shoulder and a fractured arm as a result.

The HSE’s investigation into the incident found the company had failed to identify the risks from storing timber boards close to work benches and a thoroughfare used by employees. The company had not provided a safe place for the boards to be stored so they would not fall over.

Global Displays Limited, Global House, George Baylis Road, Droitwich, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company was fined £14,000 and ordered to pay costs of £ 1,179.

Speaking after the hearing, HSE Inspector Alastair Mitchell said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by simply carrying out a risk assessment in relation to the storage of display panel boards. This would have identified the risks from unsafe stacking and the need for appropriate control measures, such as a method for storing boards safely.

“Companies should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”