Companies have many things on their plate, especially when it comes to safety and consideration of all the things that could potentially go wrong.
Whether it is the prospect of being exposed to asbestos, being hit or crushed by heavy machinery or falling from height, there is always an issue that needs to be addressed. This is no different when dealing with heavy objects - such as the granite slabs that triggered a disastrous accident at a firm in Bournemouth.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was forced to prosecute Modular Granite after investigating an incident in which two employees were left with serious injuries.
In April last year, Chris Thurston and Gary Avery were part of a four-man team tasked with dealing with several slabs. While they took the weight of four, two of their colleagues attempted to remove the one they needed.
However, the slabs soon came crashing down, leaving Mr Thurston with a cut neck, broken leg and damaged veins and Mr Avery with bruising and compact nerve syndrome.
HSE inspector Kate Leftly said: "None of the workers received training on how to move the slabs and the company didn't have a safe system of work that would have helped them.
"The A-frames used to hold the slabs were also unsuitable, because there was no means to prevent them toppling over or sliding out, creating a clear danger to the workers."
It was also said that the company had found no way of ensuring the slabs did not topple over when they were moved by those who were asked to sort them.
Such a case may serve as a useful reminder to firms that they must evaluate the weight they are asking employees to lift at any time and assess whether it is realistic and safe to do so.
