Company fined after employee paralysed
An electrical company has been fined £120,000 after a man was left paralysed when he was knocked from a scissor lift.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted the company after the incident happened in Crawley.
The company had been subcontracted to design and builds the mechanical and electrical systems in a number of new buildings.
A cable installer, who does not want to be named, was working in a scissor lift with two colleagues tying cables into overhead trays when they collapsed, knocking the man out of the lift and causing him to fall eight metres to the floor below.
The man, suffered severe spinal injuries and is now paralysed from the waist down.
HSE told the court that the company had failed to ensure the safety of its employees while carrying out the installation of the cable tray systems and was fined a total of £120,000 with full costs of £81,927.
After the hearing, HSE's Inspector said:
"This tragic incident would have been avoided if the company had ensured all parts of the cable tray system had been properly designed and installed, including how it was attached to the building.”