Construction Health and Safety Consultancy and CDM Adviser Services

Worker Killed by Slabs in Tragic Accident
Posted by David Cant on July 11, 2012
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A father of four was killed while working for an Essex based granite manufacturer in April 2008.  Martin Rice was unloading a vehicle which had delivered stone slabs to the warehouse. Mr Rice was moving the slabs over to A-frames to be stored when the accident happened. He was lowering a load which weight around 3 tonnes when the pile of slabs fell and crushed him up against a wall.  Mr Rice was pronounced dead at the scene aged just 57.

Unsafe Method of Work was Used

The case was taken to Chelmsford Crown Court where the jury heard about the investigation which was performed by the Health and Safety Executive.  The investigation had shown that the system of work which was being followed by Mr Rice was unsafe, and therefore Mr Rice was put at risk by his employers, The Stone Company.

During the Health and Safety Executives investigation they discovered that the A-frames were not in a suitable position in the warehouse.  Simple changes made to the way the storage had been designed and used could have prevented the death of Mr Rice and saved his family from so much suffering. The Stone Company pleaded guilty in court and was fined £20,000 with additional costs of £40,000.

Simple Changes Could Have Saved a Life

The Stone Company had breached section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act.  This section says that employers must do everything that is reasonably practicable to ensure the health and safety of their employees.  In this instance moving the A-frames would have been all it took to save a man’s life.

Using health and safety services is a good way of establishing any problems which are placing the lives of your employees at risk.  Health and safety consultants offer many excellent services which not only save lives; they can also improve productively and protect companies from unknowingly breaching the health and safety legislation. Companies have a duty to their employees, and implementing the latest health and safety techniques is the best way of reducing and controlling risks.

Training is Vital for Company Owners and Managers

Health and safety consultants offer many excellent services such as training. Having knowledge on how to spot hazards and how to conduct risk assessments and safe working methods makes a huge difference.  Training can be provided to employees on all levels and is available in-house or at a suitable location depending on your personal preference.

There are a large number of safety training courses which include many of the accredited courses offered by NEBOSH and the IOSH.  The ISOH Managing Safely course is aimed directly at supervisors and managers who are responsible for organising duties and workers.  The course typically lasts for four days and provides numerous skills to the candidate.  The costs and dates vary so it’s a good idea to email or call the Health and Safety consultants on 0800 1488 677 and ask about the suitable courses for your requirements.  The prices and length of the courses vary, but there is training suitable for everyone within your organisation.

About 

David Cant is a Chartered Safety and Health Practitioner extraordinaire. He has a wealth of Industry experience and is the MD of Veritas Consulting. David also Blogs about Health and Safety here Health and Safety Consultants

His aim is to flavour Health and Safety with integrity, served with a side of humour You can find David on - Twitter and Google also Linkedin

This post has been filed in: Construction Health and Safety, Health and Safety, Health and Safety Consultancy, Health and Safety Services, Workplace Health and Safety, Workplace Safety

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