16.09.2024

£80k for boom loading incident

A serious boom lift loading incident in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 2022, has now come to court. Belfast based Balloo Hire Centre – part of the Briggs Equipment group – has been fined £80,000 after a large boom lift came off the side of the delivery truck while loading.

The fine was for failing to ensure the safety of its employees, and members of the public to which the company pleaded guilty.

The incident occurred on October 4th, 2022, in Hamilton Road, in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter, with the lift, a Genie ZX-135/70, coming off the side of the truck with the platform crashing into the ground inflicting life changing injuries to the operator.

The subsequent investigation found that “the company failed to adequately identify the risks associated with loading machines fitted with retractable axles and failed to provide a banksman to assist the operator in safely controlling and directing the loading operations. It also failed to ensure adequate measures were in place to segregate live traffic and pedestrians from the loading operation which occurred on a public road thereby placing members of the public at risk.”

HSENI inspector, Kevin Campbell said: “Employers have a legal duty to ensure employees and others are not put at risk while machinery and plant is being loaded or unloaded. Loading and unloading of equipment is a very common activity across all industries. The size and weight of the load, and location of the loading or unloading activity, can make seemingly routine activities become more difficult and introduce specific hazards.”

“Serious incidents can result where work activities have not been adequately assessed, with proper control measures put in place to safeguard employees and members of the public. Appropriately trained banksmen must be utilised where the risk assessment demonstrates their requirement, and arrangements must be put in place to keep people away from loading or unloading operations.“

“The HSENI will not hesitate to recommend the prosecution of companies who fail to provide safe working conditions for their employees.”