Could an effective inspection system have avoided an HGV driver from being seriously injured at work this year?
By Chaima Hossenally - French Exchange Student
Welcome to our sixth and final week of French Exchange Corner, with SG World's Exchange Student Chaima Hossenally. This week, Chaima gives us her thoughts on the importance of equipment inspections for all organisations and businesses and how SG World's solutions can help.
At the beginning of June this year, an HGV driver was seriously injured in a workplace accident. This day was supposed to be a usual one for him – the driver was delivering goods to the firm where he worked when the accident happened.
When he arrived at the premises, the driver began unloading the lorry, in which the goods needed to be moved into the company warehouse. However at the same time, a mechanism from the roller shutter above the entry was being removed. The roller shutter fell onto the driver with a force of two-and-half-tonnes, causing him serious soft-tissue injuries to his neck and right shoulder.
The driver underwent surgery following the accident, but he has been unable to return to work since the incident occurred. At the age of 56, it looks unlikely that he will recover in time to work again.
The Health and Safety Executive warns all companies that it is the responsibility of management to ensure that all tools are safe. Indeed, employers have to be sure that the workplace is safe for their employees by regularly controlling work equipment and they need to be sure to assess the various risks to avoid accidents.
The driver’s company had to pay a significant sum in compensation for the accident.
In order to avoid this kind of accident and exposing employees to these types of situations, SG World offers a large range of safety products to assess whether their equipment is safe to use before any work takes place on or around the equipment. These include Fork Lift Truck, Scaffolding and Ladder Inspection Systems, to name a few.
By simply using our Inspection Checklists, you can inspect the components of your equipment and be sure that they are safe. Available for a wide range of equipment, our inspection systems can be bespoke to your organisation and personalised according to your own requirements and company brand.
For more information on any of our products, give us a call on 01270 588211 or request a brochure.