Worker suffers leg amputation after being crushed by 800kg steel pallet, manufacturer fined £60K
An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety, has determined that Amber Precast Ltd could have prevented a worker from being permanently disabled. The incident occurred at the manufacturer’s facility in Sheffield. Wayne Hatton was working a night shift in January 2021 when an 800kg steel pallet fell on him, crushing his legs. Ultimately, the employee had to have his right lower leg amputated with two toes on his left foot also being removed. Wayne spent seven weeks in the hospital and has a prosthetic leg.
During its investigation, the HSE learned that the pallet had not been secured onto the lifting chains of the overhead crane before being removed from the concrete cast. Because of this, the pallet was not being supported during the move. Additionally, the company had not implemented a system of work to ensure the pallet could be removed safely.
Amber Precast Ltd, of Davy Business Park, Prince Of Wales Road, Sheffield, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £60,000 and ordered to pay £5,406.31 in costs at Sheffield Magistrates’ Court on 9 January 2025.
What people are saying
In a recent quote, HSE inspector Jane Fox said, “This incident could so easily have been avoided with the correct instruction and implementation of an agreed safe working procedure. Amber Precast Ltd left its employees to work out their own methods of completing the pallet removal task, instead of providing them with suitable training and equipment so it could be done safely every time.”
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About the Author
Alexis GajewskiAlexis Gajewski
Senior Content Strategist
Alexis Gajewski is a manufacturing writer and editor with nearly 20 years of experience covering the people, practices, and technologies that keep industrial facilities running. For more than a decade, she served as Senior Content Strategist for Plant Services, creating content for plant managers, engineers, and maintenance professionals on a variety of industrial topics.
During her tenure, Alexis worked to develop the brand’s digital strategy and helped launch and produce Great Question: A Manufacturing Podcast. She also created The Lighter Side of Manufacturing, a weekly blog that explored the inventive and sometimes humorous side of the industry.
Alexis co-founded Influential Women in Manufacturing, a recognition program that honored 49 women in its first two years, earned an industry award for Best Product Launch, and received a proclamation from Illinois Governor JB Pritzker and a commendation from U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth.
She also led newsroom operations and development at a large media company where she set editorial standards, developed training curriculum, and helped support AI adoption for more than 150 editors across 80+ brands spanning manufacturing, industrial processing, automation, and more.
Additionally, Alexis works as a freelance writer and editor, and her areas of interest include continuous improvement, the skilled workforce, and the role of emerging technology on the plant floor.
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