HSE | A manufacturer of rolled aluminium products has been fined £300,000 after a worker was crushed under a 1.5-tonne hydraulic arm at its site in Bridgnorth.
The man, in his early 40s, was working underneath the arm when it failed, resulting in life-changing crush injuries. He had been working for Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited at its site in the town when the incident happened on 10 May 2023.
He had been carrying out preparation work for the casting of aluminium blocks from molten aluminium. He was kneeling inside a casting mould, wearing heat resistant clothing, to insert ceramic string around its edges. The hydraulic launder arm above the mould, which is used to transport molten metal around the foundry, suddenly fell onto him. It is believed the exterior temperature of the launder arm was around 100°C.
The falling arm crushed him and narrowly missed another worker. The man was trapped for three minutes before the floor of the mould was lowered to release the pressure. However, it was a further 19 minutes before the hydraulic arm could be lifted to allow recovery.
The incident and the injuries sustained by the individual have had a dramatic impact on his day-to-day life and he has not been able to return to work.
The HSE’s investigation found that the arm fell as a result of hydraulic failure. While there was a safety bar intended to prevent the arm from falling, it was not fit for purpose. Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited had not assessed the risks of the hydraulic arm falling and therefore failed to implement a suitable safe system of work to prevent employees from working beneath it.
Bridgnorth Aluminium Limited of Stourbridge Road, Bridgnorth, pleaded guilty breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £300,000 and ordered to pay £8,301 in costs.
HSE inspector Nicola Willcox said: “This was a serious incident that should never have happened.
“The company subsequently implemented simple control measures to prevent it from re-occurring. The process of placing the ceramic string in the moulds is now carried out with the hydraulic arm in the lowered position, and people are restricted from walking under the it when it is raised.
“If these measures had been in place at the time, then this incident would not have happened.”
This prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Edward Parton and paralegal officer Jason Dix. The investigation was supported by Natalka Heath, HSE Visiting Officer.
