A&P Falmouth fined £750k after crane collapse could have seriously hurt someone
A Cornish dock operator has been fined a six-figure sum after a crane jib collapse put lives at risk when it crashed to the ground next to a crowded ship.
A&P Falmouth Ltd put lives at risk when it ignored the results of an 'MOT' for a 59-year-old crane. Sirens sounded at the site when a steel wire snapped. It sent Crane 21 crashing to the ground after briefly resting on a crowded ship.
Appearing at Truro Crown Court for sentencing this week after pleading guilty to two charges under the health and safety at work act, the court was told that incredibly nobody was hurt. There were 108 people on naval support vessel RFA Tidespring and the dock was full of workers when the 15-tonne crane fell.
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Shrapnel from dislodged machinery then flew from the winchhouse. A&P Falmouth Ltd was prosecuted in court by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) following the incident, which occurred on May 10, 2017.
Prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, David Sapiecha, explained to Truro Crown Court at a sentencing hearing yesterday (Thursday, October 10) that Crane 21 was built in 1958 and was around 59 years old at the time of the incident. The 15-tonne crane, balanced by two 35-tonne counterweights, operated on rails so it could be moved around the docks in Falmouth and was used to load and unload ships in the dock."
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He said: "No one was injured. However, serious injury and damage was risked by the event. There were people in the dock, the driver in the crane, and 108 people on the Tidespring."
Nigel Lawrence, for the defence, said: "This is the first time in 125 years the defendant has faced a health and safety offence. They feel very strongly about this. The defendant company serves the shipping industry, the Ministry of Defence, and the Royal Navy. It's a very important provider."
Mr Lawrence went on to explain that in his client's opinion, there was little risk to people on the site, as the deck of the Tidespring had been cleared and there were no personnel in the area. You can read our full report from yesterday's hearing with all the details, here.
Sentencing the company today (Friday, October 11), His Honour Judge James Adkin said the appropriate fine would be £1 million, reduced by 25 per cent because of the early guilty pleas.
A&P Falmouth Ltd was fined £750,000 and must pay that sum in 12 months. The judge agreed that half of it could be paid in the next six months and the remainder in the following six after the defence said the company had low profit margins. It was also ordered to pay £26,792 in costs.
HSE said the incident put more than 250 people at risk. HSE inspector Melissa Lai-Hung said: “This was a very serious incident and it is fortunate nobody was injured or killed as a result of this catastrophic failure at Falmouth Docks.
“We thoroughly investigated this incident and found that A&P Falmouth Limited’s system of maintenance was not effective in preventing the collapse of the crane.
“This case not only highlights the importance of regular proactive maintenance but also the inspection of lifting equipment. Companies looking for advice in these areas can find readily-available and free guidance on the HSE website.”