Freeclaim Solicitors: Vehicle Recovery Firm Fined over Serious Injury to Mechanic

A vehicle recovery firm has been charged for failing to protect the safety of its workforce after one of its mechanics suffered a serious back injury whilst working on a lorry.

The 22-year-old mechanic was working on the large goods vehicle (LGV) at ABR Rescue’s workshop in Hull in June 2012 when it fell from a jack and trapped him underneath.

Hull Magistrates Court was told that the mechanic was fitting a brake chamber to the seven-tonne LGV, which had had its rear nearside wheels removed, and was being supported by a single hydraulic jack, which itself was stood on a block of wood.

Another employee was working in the cab of the lorry; when he started the engine, the vehicle rolled off the jack, onto the mechanic. He fractured two vertebrae in his back as a result of the accident, and he was unable to return to work for three months.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the lorry was improperly supported. The LGV should have been securely raised using axle stands, and the remaining wheels should have been chocked to prevent the vehicle from rolling.

ABR Rescue Ltd admitted to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, which states that it is “the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees”. The firm has been fined £5,000 and ordered to pay over £3,000 in legal costs.

HSE inspector Dr Nicholas Tosney said after the verdict: “Jacks are for lifting, not support, and in these circumstances it was entirely foreseeable that when the engine was started the vehicle would fall.

“The precautions that should be taken are well-known in the industry and if [ABR Rescue] had fulfilled its duty of care, then a young worker would have been spared a serious injury.”

Freeclaim Solicitors is one of the leading personal injury law firms in the UK. They have over 25 years’ experience in helping to recover compensation for those who have been injured as a result of a workplace accident.

If you have been injured in an accident at work, and you think you may have a case for claiming compensation for your injuries, contact Freeclaim Solicitors today in order to discuss your claim further. For more information, visit the Freeclaim website at http://www.freeclaim.co.uk/

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