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Worker hit by steel plate falling from crane
What happened?
The UK Health & Safety Executive (UK HSE) reports that a company has been fined after an employee was injured when he was struck by a steel plate that fell from a crane.
What went wrong? What were the causes?
A person was carrying out work on a new metal staircase which was under construction. The task involved using a crane to lift a steel sheet attached to a magnet, but the sheet became detached from the magnet and fell, striking the injured person on the back and causing severe back injuries. The worker fractured his spine and has been unable to continue working as a steel fixer.
The UK HSE investigation found that the company had failed to ensure that the lifting equipment was of adequate strength and stability for each load. Whilst the safe working load was 1000kg, the magnet had to be de-rated to take into account the thinness and the length of the metal being lifted. The company also failed to ensure that the lifting operation was planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.
The full press release can be found on the HSE website.
Members may also wish to refer to the following incident:
Safety Event
Published: 24 April 2018
Download: 
IMCA SF 09/18
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