LOLER penalty

Prosecutions and Claims |
01.05.2007

Durham County Council has been  fined £20,000 after a 100-tonne crane toppled into a culvert, narrowly missing workers.

During council works to extend and repair the culvert at Pelton Fell near Chester le Street, the crane's outriggers were extended on an earth embankment that could not bear its weight. When the ground gave way, the site manager had been called away and the foreman left in charge had no knowledge of lifting operations.

The HSE found the council had also failed to close off a public footpath that passed the works. Magistrates fined the authority £14,000 for two charges of failing to protect its employees and others under the Health and Safety at Work Act and £6,000 for three more under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations for failing to ensure the crane work was adequately planned and supervised and carried out safely.