Company fined for crane fall death

The company admitted breaching the health and safety at work act

A Cardiff-based engineering company has been fined £15,000 following the death of one of its employees who fell from a 30 foot crane.

Robert Grant, 52, was repairing the crane when he fell.

Rumney Crane and Engineering Ltd, which specialises in installing and maintaining cranes, admitted breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

Multiple Injuries

Prosecutor Steve Scott told Cardiff Magistrates' Court that Mr Grant hit the ground and later died from multiple injuries.

" It would appear most likely that he fainted and fell from the open edge of the platform." he said.

Mr Scott said precautions had to be taken when people were required to work within two metres of an open edge, and Mr Grant was working much closer to the edge than that.

He added that 80 fatalities a year were due to workers falling from a height in industry, and companies were required to assess the risks and take precautions.

"In the view of the Health and Safety Executive the risks were very foreseeable and in this case the precautions were very straight forward." he said.

A wholly avoidable tragic accident

Deputy District Judge David Webster

Mr Scott said a safety harness would have restrained Mr Grant from falling.

Gareth Williams, who was defending the company, said it had expressed its "profound regret" at what had happened, and had an "excellent" safety record.

He added that the company had taken steps to rectify safety provision.

Deputy District Judge David Webster said the incident was " a wholly avoidable tragic accident".

The company was also ordered to pay £1,266 in costs.