Tragedy Wholly Avoidable
"Wholly avoidable" This was the description used by HSE Inspector Julian Franklin. He was tragically referring to the death of a 6-year-old boy, that would still be alive today had the gate undergone a "thorough commissioning!"
A company had been convicted under Health & Safety legislation. It would seem that gaps in the commissioning process had led to the gates being handed over to the building occupier in a dangerous state. This type of incident tragically underlines the blogs, articles, and videos I have released over the past 3 years of just how dangerous our industry can be to the young and unsuspecting.
Quite rightly, the HSE will not hesitate to take the appropriate enforcement action against those that disregard the law, regardless of the circumstances, the death of a young child cannot be the price of profit, incompetence or just plain carelessness.
The case I refer to was heard at Leeds Court in October 2015. The gate of an underground car park had manufactured and fitted with no endstop to the track, and the gate was pushed beyond the retaining mechanism! The gate fell over, fatally crushing the child.
If this story wasn’t bad enough.... Read More