On 21 October 2009 a mechanical engineer was working under an open-topped bus at the Ferry Lane, Rainham, depot of The Original London Sightseeing Tour Limited.
The vehicle had been raised approximately two feet off the ground and was being supported on its axles by wooden blocks and column vehicle lifts.
As the 58-year-old employee was reseating an airbag, he instructed a colleague to raise and lower the bus, using the vehicle lift control.
But, when one of the wooden blocks broke, it's axle dropped on to the mechanic, breaking his pelvis and several ribs.
The man, who does not wish to be named, was hospitalised for two weeks, could not work for six months, and still suffers pain.
Following the hearing at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, HSE Inspector Jane Wolfenden said:
“The use of wooden blocks in this way could easily have resulted in a fatality. It was foreseeable that the blocks were likely to give way, putting the lives of employees at risk.
“Had the company carried out an effective risk assessment that involved site engineers, this entirely preventable incident could have been avoided.”
The company, the HSE concluded, could have used another set of vehicle lifts available at the time of the incident or taken the tri-axle buses to another depot where there were numerous vehicle pits.
The Original London Sightseeing Tour Limited, registered at Admiral Way, Sunderland, Tyne and Wear was fined £10,500 and ordered to pay costs of £10,000 for breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
