CV repair company fined after apprentice fractures skull

Central England Municipals – trading as M6 Commercials - has been fined after an apprentice suffered head injuries while undertaking maintenance work on a commercial vehicle.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard how the apprentice employee was working alongside an experienced mechanic replacing air suspension bags beneath a 39,000kg trailer on June 5, 2017. The air suspension bag was still under pressure and ejected sideways striking the injured person.

The employee suffered a fractured skull and was placed in an induced coma as a result of the incident.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the incident found there was a failure to assess risk, a failure to implement a safe system of work and a failure to ensure that employees were appropriately trained and monitored to ensure the task could be carried out safely.

Central England Municipals (trading as M6 Commercials) of Nechells, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and was fined £20,000 and ordered to pay costs of £921.40.

Speaking after the case HSE inspector Christopher Maher said: “If a suitable safe system of work has been in place prior to the incident, the life changing injuries sustained by the employee could have been prevented.”