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You are here: Home > News > October 2011 > System of work failure led to serious injury

System of work failure led to serious injury


By Maria Kirby - 05/10/2011

The failure of a Scottish company to review its system of work led to a worker suffering a serious injury, a court has heard.

Perth Sheriff Court was told yesterday that an incident which occurred at Perthshire-based Pauls Malt Limited in 2008 could have been avoided if the malt company had ensured a competent person was on site to oversee work.

Derek Kinmond had been attempting to fix machinery within a grain silo when he slipped and his leg became trapped. After being rushed to hospital, doctors were forced to amputate his left leg below the knee.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that although safety procedures had been put in place, there was no supervisor there to ensure the rules were followed. The employee originally designated to monitor the work was on long-term sick leave, and his substitute had left the company a week earlier.

The court fined Pauls Malt £8,000 after the firm admitted breaching health and safety rules.

HSE principal inspector Peter Dodd said: "If Pauls Malt Ltd had ensured that there was a competent person on site to authorise and oversee the work being undertaken to empty the grain silo, then this incident would not have happened.

"The duty on the employers does not simply extend to giving instructions but ensuring that the instructions are carried out."

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