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The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is urging companies to ensure that equipment used is “fit for purpose”, and employee protection remains high on company agendas, after a 25-year-old contractor suffered a crushed pelvis.

Essex-based Eimco Water Technologies Ltd were fined £12,000 this week, after pleading guilty to safety breaches at Southampton Magistrates’ Court. The company were also ordered to pay costs of £3,661 for damage caused to Grzegorz Trafisz in 2008.

Mr Trafisz was crushed by a 2,000kg steel stop-log, fracturing his pelvis, whilst working underneath the machinery in Southampton’s Marchwood Power Station in July 2008.

A HSE investigation found that the Essex company failed to take steps to protect Mr Trafisz by not properly assessing the safety of his working environment.

The investigation accused the company of failing to follow their assembly instructions and not using equipment suitable for the job in hand, breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at work etc Act 1974, which states:

“It shall be the duty of every employer to conduct his undertaking in such a way as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that persons not in his employment who may be affected thereby are not exposed to risks to their health and safety.”

“Companies should remember that they are responsible for ensuring all their employees, whether directly employed by them or not, are entitled to work in the safest possible environment that is fit for purpose,” said HSE Inspector, James Powell.