Nottinghamshire County Council fined £1million after disabled man crushed by tractor

Local authority fined £1million for crushing incident

Health and Safety Executive v Nottinghamshire County Council (2017) Nottingham Crown Court, April 18

Statutory reference: ss. 2 and 3, Health and Safety at Work, etc., Act 1974 (HSWA).

Nottinghamshire County Council has been fined following an incident in which a member of the public suffered crushing injuries.

The facts

· In June 2015 employees of the council were collecting tree branches in a park and moving them, using a tractor-mounted grab attachment.

· A disabled member of the public was on a guided walk in the park. The tractor struck him, causing serious bruising and injuries to his arms, legs and head.

· The council had failed to implement a safe system for the work in that it had failed to segregate vehicle movements from the public.

· It had also failed to train employees to the required level to operate the mounted grab and to act as banksmen.

· The machine was not suitable for transporting material for long distances.

· The council had also failed to supervise and adequately plan the work in a public place and had put employees and members of the public at risk.

The decision

The council was fined £1million plus £10,000 costs.