A Bedford double-glazing manufacturer has been prosecuted, after two employees were seriously injured by falling glass sheets.

Sixty year old Justo Llerena and a colleague, who has not been named, were working for Clearglaze Ltd, at their plant on the Elms Farm Industrial Estate, in Bedford and were attempting to lift two large glass sheets using a pendant crane and an A frame.

However as the two men worked around the A frame, it toppled over on top of them, causing serious injuries to both of them as the glass shattered.

Mr. Llerena suffered serious lacerations to his elbow and arm, which required surgery and due to complications with the procedure he still suffers pain and has been unable, as yet, to return to work.

His colleague suffered a serious cut to his right index finger, which caused him to be away from work for ten weeks.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and concluded that Clearglaze should have ensured that the A frame was safely secured and not in any danger of falling over.

Clearglaze Ltd, of the Elms Farm Industrial Estate, in Bedford, was fined £5,000 after admitting a breach of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations, following a successful prosecution by the HSE at Bedford Magistrates’ Court.

A construction company based in Portsmouth has been prosecuted, after falling masonry struck and injured a member of the public.

The twenty nine year old male passer-by, who has asked not to be named, was walking along High Street in Camberley, Surrey, when he was hit by a piece of masonry weighing around eight kilogram’s, which had been dislodged as builders carried out refurbishment work above shops in the area.

The falling piece of debris knocked the pedestrian to the floor as it struck his shoulder, causing cuts and bruising which later led to him experiencing muscle spasms.

Guildford Magistrates’ Court was told that Majestic Construction Limited, who had been undertaking the refurbishment work, had been using a mobile elevating working platform (MEWP), which was correct for the job but struck the side of the building as it was being manoeuvred, causing a chunk of masonry to fall towards the ground.

A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation into the incident, revealed that barriers were being used but some were being moved further along the street, this allowed pedestrians to walk directly below the area were overhead work was being carried out.

Majestic Construction Limited, of Western Road, in Portsmouth, pleaded guilty to a breach of the Work at Height Regulations and was fined £8,000.

A food company has been prosecuted and fined, after an engineer suffered a fractured skull in a fall from height accident.

The forty nine year old employee, who has not been named, was working at Cranswick Country Foods (Norfolk) Ltd, near Watton, where he was investigating a faulty data logger which was attached to a cooling unit.

Norwich Magistrates Court was told that the engineer had gained access to the cooling unit by using a free standing ladder, unfortunately as he reached for his tools the ladder slipped and sent him crashing almost three metres to the ground below.

He was hospitalised for four days following the accident, after suffering a fractured skull and damage to a bone in his right ear which has left him with debilitating tinnitus, he was not able to return to work for a month following the fall and is currently working reduced hours.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and discovered that the ladder had no foot supports or top ties to prevent it from moving.

Cranswick Country Foods, based in Hull, East Yorkshire, was fined £10,000 after admitting a breach of the Health and Safety at Work Act.