Firm Fined £100,000 after Welder Crushed at Sunderland Shipyard

A steel company has been fined £100,000 after a welder was crushed between heavy equipment at a Sunderland shipyard, an accident captured on CCTV.

Midland Steel Traders Ltd admitted breaching health and safety regulations following an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), after 37-year-old David Vinsome sustained severe injuries at Pallion Shipyard on 18 October 2022.

Mr Vinsome, from North Shields, was trapped between an excavator bucket and a fabrication table while attempting to attach chains from an overhead crane. The lifting operation unexpectedly began when a forklift truck moved the bucket, unaware Mr Vinsome was directly behind it. The incident left him with multiple fractured ribs and serious internal injuries, including an abdominal wall rupture.

Safety Failures Identified by HSE Investigation

The HSE inquiry revealed Midland Steel Traders Ltd had failed to adequately plan the lifting operation or establish safe working practices. It led to poor communication between the crane and forklift operators, directly causing the accident.

HSE inspector Matthew Dundas said that had proper safety measures been implemented, Mr Vinsome’s injuries could have been avoided.

“Lifting operations can often put people at great risk and incur significant costs when they go wrong,” he said, adding that thorough guidance from HSE exists specifically to prevent such incidents.

“It’s therefore important to properly resource, plan and organise lifting operations so they are carried out in a safe manner,” said Dundas. “Had that been done in this case, then Mr Vinsome wouldn’t have been so seriously injured.”

Life-Changing Impact on Victim

Mr Vinsome spent nine days in hospital following the incident and was bedridden at home for a further month. He described ongoing shoulder pain and the profound effect the incident had on his family life.

“My partner is an NHS nurse, so she helped a lot,” he said. “I’m still suffering a lot of pain with my shoulder. I have a daughter, and I can’t do the school run anymore or take her out for meals or ice cream.”

He expressed concerns about his future employment prospects, doubting he would ever return to welding. “I don’t know when that will be or how I will manage,” he said.

Firm Pleaded Guilty

Midland Steel Traders Ltd, based at Portobello Industrial Estate in Chester-le-Street, pleaded guilty to breaches of Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

At Newcastle Magistrates Court on 13 February 2025, the firm was fined £100,000 and ordered to pay £4,916 in legal costs. The prosecution was led by HSE enforcement lawyer Jonathan Bambro, supported by paralegal Melissa Wardle.

The HSE called for companies to adhere strictly to safety regulations during lifting operations, emphasising that proper planning and communication are crucial to preventing accidents and protecting workers’ lives.

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