A Mansfield firm has been fined £3,300 after two workers were crushed in separate accidents within weeks of each other.
The incidents happened at Bradder Way company SDC Trailers Ltd - the Nottinghamshire base for trailer manufacturers SDC Parts and Services Ltd, which ships lorry tyres and wheel and tyre assemblies from its factory base in Northern Ireland to Mansfield twice a week.
Both branches of the company admitted breaches of Health and Safety legislation at a hearing before Mansfield magistrates on Wednesday.
Worker David Shaw had his knee crushed while unloading a consignment of lorry, wheel and tyre assemblies packed in Northern Ireland from a curtain sided trailer on 4th June 2007.
The second accident took place five weeks later when Darren Clay, also of SDC Parts and Services Ltd, was crushed when preparing to unload lorry tyres from a curtain sided trailer loaded by SDC Trailers Ltd.
When Mr Clay released the curtain an unsecured stack of tyres fell from the trailer, pinning him against an adjacent vehicle and causing him tissue damage to his arm.
Maureen Kingman, principal inspector of Health and Safety for Nottingham, said the tyres had not been secured properly and had tumbled out when released.
"The trailers were not packed with a view to unloading or safety at the other end," she said. "The company fell well short of the standards set by the law."
During the hearing, magistrates were shown photographs of the tyres - which weighed around 35kg and measured one metre in diameter.
In mitigation, Tony Wilkinson apologised on behalf of the company and said similar content had been shipped between the two sites on many occasions since 1996 with no problems.
"The company takes Health and Safety duties very seriously and has a committee in place where employees can raise any concerns," he said. "These incidents were taken very seriously and have been discussed at board level and proper steps have been taken to make things right. Extra staff have been employed to identify risk assessment areas and loads are now inspected when loading in Northern Ireland and inspected again before unloading in Mansfield."
Mr Wilkinson said the company had sought no financial gain from transporting the loads in such a manner.
SDC Parts and Services Ltd in Northern Ireland was fined £2,600 for failing to make a suitable and sufficient risk assessments for their employees in relation to the unloading of trailers containing lorry tyres and wheel and tyre assemblies.
Mansfield magistrates said the accidents were serious breaches of Health and Safety legislation and also ordered both firms to pay £1,824.60 costs.
After Wednesday's decision, a Health and Safety Executive spokesman urged all companies to follow worker safety guidelines.
"The unloading of trailers in which loads had not been properly secured places those involved at considerable risk," he said. "The outcome of these incidents - the injuries and the subsequent fine - reminds us that the results can be serious for people and for businesses that fail to comply with their health and safety duties."
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