A man is in hospital with life threatening injuries after a crane collapsed on to a ship at a container port. According to the coastguard, the crane toppled on to the ship Nyke Themis and the injured man, thought to be in his 30s, suffered crushed legs as a result of the accident and was being treated at Southampton hospital.
This is already the second serious incident this year involving a crane and concerns have been raised over worker safety.
According to the BBC, the accident is still being investigated and the cause of the collapse has not yet been determined. However the Health and Safety Executive have already been notified in an attempt to get to the bottom of the circumstances which led to the collapse.
Under the Construction (Health, Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 employers have a duty to:
• ensure a safe place of work • ensure a safe means of access to and from the place of work • prevent falls with specific regulations for work over 2 metres high • employ physical precautions or provide equipment that will arrest falls • prevent falls through fragile materials • erect scaffolding under competent supervision • protect employees and others from falling objects • ensure that materials and equipment are stored safely.
It is clear that if the results of the Health and Safety Executive investigation discover a failing on the behalf of the owners of the property then they might well be vulnerable under this act to any claim which the injured party wishes to bring.
