Firm fined after 300kg batteries fall on worker
A Halifax worker was left with a string of injuries after 300kg of batteries fell on him.
The man was working at Wastecare Limited’s site at North Dean Business Park in Halifax with two others restacking batteries after a container had toppled over when the accident happened.
The container where the batteries were stored started to rip, leading to the batteries falling on the man.
He suffered a double compound fracture to his lower right leg, a fracture to the left tibia, a fractured right collar bone, some bruising to his ribs and a cut on his forehead.
A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found Wastecare Limited failed to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of its employees at work.
It said the site was “overstocked, bags of batteries had been stacked in an unsafe manner and there was no specific documented risk assessments or safe systems of work for the correct stacking and storage of batteries”. It also found this was not an isolated incident.
Wastecare Limited, of Normanton Industrial Estate, Normanton, pleaded guilty to breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act and was fined £120,000 and ordered to pay £4,937.39 in costs at Leeds Magistrates’ Court on February 21.
HSE inspector Jackie Ferguson said: “This incident could so easily have been avoided by implementing simple control measures and safe working practices to ensure the batteries were stacked safely and securely.
"The industry should be aware that HSE will not hesitate to take appropriate enforcement action against those that fall below the required standards.”