UK HSE: fall from height injury at container port

What happened

The UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a logistics company after a worker fell over 10 metres and sustained serious injuries. The worker fell through an open hole in the driver’s cab of a straddle carrier, landing on the concrete floor below. The hole had been created by contractors who were replacing a glass floor. See press release.

What went wrong

• The worker, who was undertaking routine maintenance work, was unaware of the open hole before falling onto the floor;
• The worker’s employer had failed to ensure there was a safe system of work at its site – there should have been a system in place that ensured the replacement of the glass floor and routine maintenance work could be carried out safely at the same time;
• The company also failed to ensure there was a risk assessment in place;
• The company failed to implement its own policy for the use of permits to work whilst working at height.

Lessons to learn

Before performing a similar task, persons involved should be asking the following questions:

• Are you aware of what is going on around you? Take nothing for granted, particularly when working at height;
• How are you dealing with simultaneous operations?
• How are you dealing with the complexities of ensuring safe operations if multiple contractors are working at the same worksite at the same time?
• Is your risk assessment suitable and sufficient? Some recent Safety Flash incidents highlight cases where risk assessment was not specific enough;
• Are you following your OWN company rules?

Members may wish to refer to:

• MSF: LTI – Fall from Height  (control of work during SIMOPS)
• LTI: Injury to right wrist
• IMCA M 023 Guidance on simultaneous operations (SIMOPS)
• IMCA HSS 032 Guidance on safety in shipyards