A luxury motor yacht manufacturer has been fined after a worker suffered serious crush injuries to his right hand during a lifting operation.
On 3 December 2018, an employee suffered the serious injuries while lifting a storage cage at Fairline Yachts manufacturing facility at Nene Valley Business Park, Oundle. There was no goods lift in the manufacturing unit, so an overhead crane was used. As the cage was lifted it began to tip and fall in the direction of the employee. The cage trapped his hand against a boat trolley causing serious crush injuries to the employee’s dominant right hand.
The HSE’s investigation into the incident found that the lifting operation was not properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised or carried out in a safe manner.
Fairline Yachts Limited of Nene Valley Business Park, Oundle pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £230,000 and ordered to pay costs of £7,410.
Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Aaron Butel said: “When undertaking lifting operations involving lifting equipment companies should ensure that they are always properly planned by a competent person, appropriately supervised and carried out in a safe manner.”
HSE October 2021