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Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), a Belfast based plant hire company has been fined for failing to ensure the safety of its employees, and members of the public.

Today (Friday 13 September) at Laganside Crown Court, Balloo Hire Centre Ltd was fined £80,000 after pleading guilty to two health and safety offences.

The Court heard that on 4 October 2022, during the loading of a large Mobile Elevated Working Platform (MEWP) onto a lorry trailer on Hamilton Rd, Belfast, the MEWP toppled off the side of the trailer as it was being driven onto the trailer. The operator was ejected from the MEWP platform onto the road, and sustained life changing injuries.

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.

Following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI), a Belfast based plant hire company has been fined for failing to ensure the safety of its employees, and members of the public. (Pic: stock image)

“Loading and unloading of plant and 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.

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

The HSENI investigation identified that the company failed to adequately identify the risks associated with loading plant fitted with adjustable and retractable axles and failed to provide a banksman to assist the operator in safely controlling and directing the loading operations. The company further failed to ensure adequate measures were in place to effectively segregate live traffic and pedestrians from the loading operation which occurred on the public road thereby placing members of the public at risk.

Information in relation to working safely with plant and equipment is available online at www.hseni.gov.uk/topic/workplace-transport

Plant hire company fined after 'placing employees at risk'