Council fined £500k for safety failings

A London council has been fined after a road worker suffered a serious injury whilst cutting trees using a Sthil cut-off saw fitted with an inappropriate blade.

Southwark Crown Court heard how the employee of London Borough of Havering sustained a serious cut injury just above his left knee. The blade became stuck and on pulling it free the blade ran across the top of his left knee. He suffered a deep cut, damaging ligaments and cartiledge requiring sixty stiches.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found that the wrong equipment was being used for the task.

The council pleaded guilty to breaching Regulations 4(2) and 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998, and was fined £500,000 and ordered to pay costs of £8,240.

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