Skip to main content
IOSH Magazine: Safety, Health and Wellbeing in the world of work - return to the homepage IOSH Magaazine logo
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on Facebook
  • Visit @ioshmagazine on Twitter
  • Visit IOSH Magazine on LinkedIn
Readjusting the Lens: How to protect the psychosocial wellbeing of staff
Feel the Noise: The silent cost of hearing loss
Download the Jan/Feb 2021 Issue: Read the digital edition here

Main navigation

  • Home
    • Browse previous issues
  • Health
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Sickness absence
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Rehabilitation
      • Personal injury
      • Return to work
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Professional skills
      • Qualifications
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
  • Jobs
  • Covid-19
  • Interactive
    • Podcast
    • Videos
    • Webinars
  • Products & Services
  • Management
    • Human factors
      • Sickness absence
      • Accident reduction
      • Control of contractors
      • Migrant workers
      • Older workers
      • Reporting
      • Safe systems of work
      • Young workers
    • Leadership and management
      • Employee involvement
      • Leadership
      • Management systems
    • Management standards
      • ISO 45001
    • Planning
      • Assurance
      • Compliance
      • Emergency planning
      • Insurance
    • Strategy
      • Corporate governance
      • Performance/results
      • Regulation/enforcement
      • Reputation
    • Sustainability
      • Human capital and Vision Zero
  • Health
    • COVID-19
    • Mental health and wellbeing
      • Bullying
      • Drugs and alcohol
      • Mental health
      • Stress
      • Wellbeing
    • Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs)
      • Ergonomics
      • Manual handling
      • Vibration
    • Occupational cancer
      • Asbestos
      • Hazardous substances
      • Radiation
  • Safety
    • Incident management
      • Chemicals
      • Electricity
      • Fire
      • First aid
      • Slips and trips
    • Non-health related fatalities
      • Road safety
      • Work at height
    • Risk management
      • Confined spaces
      • Disability
      • Legionella
      • Lifting operations
      • Lone workers
      • Noise
      • Personal protective equipment
      • Violence at work
      • Work equipment
      • Workplace transport
  • Skills
    • Communication
    • Personal performance
      • Career development
      • Competencies
      • Personal development
      • Qualifications
      • Professional skills
    • Stakeholder management
    • Working with others
      • Leadership
  • Transport and logistics
  • Third sector
  • Retail
  • Mining and quarrying
  • Rail
  • Rehabilitation
    • Personal injury
    • Return to work
  • Utilities
  • Manufacturing and engineering
  • Construction
  • Sector: IOSH Branch
    • Sector: Northern Ireland
    • Sector: Midland
    • Sector: Merseyside
    • Sector: Manchester and North West Districts
    • Sector: Ireland East
    • Sector: Ireland
    • Sector: Edinburgh
    • Sector: Desmond-South Munster
    • Sector: Qatar
    • Sector: Oman
    • Sector: Singapore
    • Sector: South Coast
    • Sector: South Wales
    • Sector: Thames Valley
    • Sector: Tyne and Wear
    • Sector: UAE
    • Sector: West of Scotland
    • Sector: Yorkshire
  • Healthcare
  • Sector: Fire
  • Sector: Financial/general services
  • Sector: Energy
  • Sector: Education
  • Sector: Communications and media
  • Sector: Chemicals
  • Sector: Central government
  • Catering and leisure
  • Agriculture and forestry
  • Sector: Local government
  • Sector: IOSH Group
    • Sector: Financial Services
    • Sector: Sports Grounds and Events
    • Rural industries
    • Sector: railway
    • Public Services
    • Sector: Offshore
    • Sector: Hazardous Industries
    • Sector: Food and Drink
    • Sector: Fire Risk Management
    • Education
    • Construction
    • Sector: Aviation and Aerospace
Quick links:
  • Home
  • Categories
  • Topics
  • Management
  • Human factors
  • Safe systems of work
Manufacturing and engineering
News

*UPDATE* Worker pinned by 150 kg door unconscious for eight hours

Open-access content 16th August 2016

A panel on the sectional vertical door at ESP's premises in Malvern, Worcestershire, was broken and the company's manager asked the worker and his colleague to check it. There was a spare panel in the factory and they decided to replace the faulty one on 5 May 2015.

The panel sections of the door were connected by hinges. On the side of each section was a bracket with a roller that ran inside the vertical track in the door frame. The 150 kg door was held in position by two cables that connected the bottom panel to a pair of springs near the ceiling.

The workers planned to first remove the hinges holding the bottom panel. They would then attach the new panel.

According to Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspector Wai-Kin Liu, however, they did not fully plan the task and failed to consider the destabilising effect of taking out the side bracket and roller.

Part-way through the job, when the damaged section's top brackets with the rollers had been removed but the bottom brackets holding the cables still under tension had not, the injured worker knelt to unfasten a hinge.

The tension in the cables pulled the bottom panel up and the panels above dropped und er their weight. Thee result was that the door folded suddenly so the bottom two panels formed a horizontal V shaped projection. The tip of the V hit the worker in the chest and pinned him to a baling machine behind the door.

He sustained a broken sternum, three cracked ribs and had a respiratory arrest that caused him to lose consciousness for eight hours due to oxygen deprivation. A forklift truck was used to lift the door off the worker.

The HSE said that ESP failed to assess the risks of fixing the sectional door. It did not give the workers suitable instructions to and there was no system to check staff members' competence for non-routine maintenance tasks.

The managers were unaware that mechanical energy was stored in the tensioned springs and the two workers did not have the correct equipment for the job, such as a scaffold tower for height access or a special key to unwind the springs.

During the investigation, the director of a specialist door company said he would have fixed the panel by first lowering the door to the ground and unwinding the springs to remove the tension. He said dismantling the door section by section, starting from the top and working downwards, was the safest way to complete the job.

ESP pleaded guilty to breaching s 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act. The judge said that, under the sentencing guidelines for health and safety offences, ESP's culpability for the offence was medium because it was an isolated incident and there was a system, though it was not followed.

The seriousness of harm risked was Level B with a medium likelihood (harm category 3), the judge determined, because of the stored energy in the spring and the tight space between the door and the baler.

He accepted the company's mitigation that it had a good safety and health record, and cooperated fully with the HSE. He issued a starting fine of £35,000 that was brought down to £30,000 due to the company's financial situation and its small cash flow. This was reduced further to £20,000 once the judge applied a one-third discount for an early guilty plea. ESP must also pay £2,714 costs.

Topics:
Safe systems of work
Manufacturing and engineering
News
Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Linked in
  • Mail
  • Print

Latest Jobs

Health and Safety Advisor

Salisbury
£40000.00 - £45000.00 per annum + Car and benefits
Reference
5447877

Health & Safety Manager

Milton Keynes
£40k - 45k per year + Car / Car Allowance
Reference
5447876

HSQE Advisor

Leicester
Negotiable D.O.E
Reference
5447875
See all jobs »

Sign up for regular e-alerts

Receive the latest news and features, free to your inbox

Sign up

Subscribe to IOSH magazine

Receive the print edition straight to your door

Subscribe
IOSH Covers
​
FOLLOW US
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube
CONTACT US
Contact us
Tel +44 (0)20 7880 6200
​

IOSH

About IOSH
Become a member
IOSH Events
MyIOSH

Information

Privacy Policy
Terms & Conditions
Cookie Policy

Get in touch

Contact us
Advertise with us
Subscribe to IOSH magazine
Write for IOSH magazine

IOSH Magazine

Health
Safety
Management
Skills
IOSH Jobs

Copyright © 2021 IOSH. IOSH is not responsible for the content of external sites.