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Footballer is maimed
A YOUNG footballer had his dreams of playing in the Premiership shattered after his toes were lopped off while working for a leading gardening charity.
The unnamed 19-year-old trapped his foot in a razor-sharp lift shaft while working for the Royal Horticultural Society in the Lawrence Hall, Greycoat Street, Victoria.
On Friday in Westminster Magistrates’ Court the RHS admitted three offences of breaching health and safety regulations and was fined £30,000.
An investigation found the man had wrongly been told to use a “goods-only” hoist to travel from floor to floor.
The temporary worker, who was helping build stalls for the high-profile March London Flower Show in 2007, lost four and a half toes.
Staff were also found to have wedged a heavy metal bar in the hoist to over-ride a power button.
Councillor Audrey Lewis, Westminster’s lead member for community protection, said: “This tragic accident was entirely avoidable and as a consequence the life of a young person with a promising future football career has been permanently affected.”
She added: “This case sends an important message to employers that proper management of health and safety is paramount.”
The RHS was fined £15,000 for breaching regulations and ordered to pay £15,000 in legal costs to Westminster Council.
A spokesman for the RHS said it had changed the way the hoist is used.
He said: “Only permanent staff can use it and it can only be operated using a key from the ground floor.” |
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