Plant Hire Company Fined after Employee Struck by Falling JCB Bucket

A plant hire company has been fined after a mechanic suffered life-changing injuries when a JCB bucket fell on him while he was helping to repair a tipper truck.

On the 24 October 2023, the employee of Salford Grab Hire Limited was assisting a colleague in repairing a broken lifting mechanism on a tipper truck body. A JCB was being used to prop up the tipper body in the raised position when the one-tonne bucket became dislodged and fell.

The worker suffered multiple fractures to his hand, shoulder blade, ribs, shin and thigh, as well as a crushed ankle and foot. He also developed a blood clot in his lungs as a result of the incident.

Safety Failings

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Salford Grab Hire Limited had not used appropriate equipment to support the tipper body during repairs. The bucket being used to prop up the body did not have a quick hitch or retaining pin, causing it to become dislodged and fall.

HSE guidance on health and safety in motor vehicle repair and associated industries   states that elevated vehicle load areas, such as those on tipper lorries, should be effectively propped if access is needed below them. Props should only be used on firm, level ground and must be designed to adequately carry the loads placed on them.

Plant Hire Company Fined

Salford Grab Hire Limited of Fairacre Astley Moss, Tyldesley, Manchester pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.

The company was fined £10,000 and ordered to pay costs of £3,475.90 at Warrington Magistrates’ Court on 27 January 2026.

HSE Inspector Rose Leese-Weller said: “Every year we see serious and sometimes fatal injuries to people working under a poorly propped vehicle body. Employers must not underestimate the risks involved and must ensure that appropriate equipment and systems of work are used when undertaking such work.”

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