The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has prosecuted a Merseyside-based crane manufacturer and supplier after ‘a near miss’ accident involving a crane on a site in Sheffield.

In February 2006, the Rossendale Group Limited, of Portside North, Merseyton Road, Ellesmere Port in Wirral supplied Sheffield-based paper manufacturer Georgia Pacific GB Limited of Oughtibridge Mill with an electric overhead moving crane to lift reels of paper.

During a routine lifting operation, an anchorage point on the crane failed, causing the crane to drop its combined weight of 1.8 tonnes from a height of approximately 1.2 metres – narrowly avoiding hitting the crane operator.

On Monday, 8 February, 2010 at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court, Rossendale Group Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Section 6(1)(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974. The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay £10,000 costs.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Alison Crank said that it was ‘extremely fortunate’ that no one had been injured or even killed in the incident.

‘Had the load fallen moments earlier, it would have fallen into the path of the crane operator,’ said Ms Crank.

‘Rossendale Group Limited should have ensured the safety critical anchorage points on the crane had been designed for the typical loading conditions that the crane would experience during routine use.’

Ms Crank added that companies supplying lifting equipment should be aware that they would be ‘held to account’ if the equipment were not ‘well designed or manufactured’.

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