A ship repair and conversion company has been told to pay £98,500 over the death of a worker who was crushed when a three tonne anchor fell onto him in a dry dock at Teesport.
Kevin Watson, 51, of Redcar, was one of three men working for A & P Tees Ltd on a sand dredger in the dry dock when the tragic incident unfolded on 11th February 2009.
The Health and Safety Executive launched an investigation which led to the prosecution of the Hebburn-based firm for serious safety failings.
Speaking after the hearing at Teesside Crown Court, HSE inspector Victoria Wise said Mr Watson had lost his life “needlessly” as a result of “failures by A & P Tees Ltd to put simple safety measures in place”.
Ms Wise added: “This was a tragedy that could have very easily been prevented if the company had assessed the risks and ensured a safe system of work was in place in relation to the task of ranging the anchors and chains.”
“Lifting operations can be dangerous”
The court heard how Mr Watson and his colleagues were ranging anchors on the dredger to get the chains laid out ready for inspection.
Unable to get the starboard anchor to lie flat on the bottom of the dock, they left it positioned upright for around half an hour while they worked on the chains.
The workers then returned their attentions to the anchor but, as Mr Watson tried to pass a chain sling under to manoeuvre it into a flat position, the anchor fell towards the vessel, landing on top of him.
The 51 year old died as a result of multiple crush injuries.
No formal qualifications
The HSE investigation found that whilst Mr Watson had undergone training to handle a dockside portal crane, he had no formal qualifications in lifting and slinging of loads. His two colleagues, on the other hand, both had training certificates relating to carrying out lifting and slinging operations.
It was established, however, that only one of them had carried out the task of ranging anchors and chains previously. They had only performed this task on one occasion.
The HSE investigation concluded that A & P Tees Ltd did not have an effective management system in place to inform supervisors and others of employees’ competence.
A & P Tees Ltd also had failed to conduct or record an assessment of the risks associated with the ranging of anchors and chains.
HSE inspector, Ms Wise, said the tragic case underscored that “lifting operations can be dangerous”.
“Every year a significant number of people are injured or killed as a result. It is therefore vitally important to ensure that appropriate procedures are in place so that lifting operations are adequately planned and carried out in a safe manner.”
A & P Tees Ltd pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
