A Heritage railway operator has been fined £5,000 after the company’s chairman had his legs crushed by a length of track as it was being moved by crane.
Telford Steam Railway will also have to pay costs of £3,000, following a prosecution brought by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) for criminal breaches of health and safety law.
On July 2, 2011, staff and volunteers of the Telford Steam Railway were installing rail on an extension to the line near Lawley Common, Shropshire, when a 450kg length of rail struck Paul Hughes as it was being moved from a wagon to the trackside by crane
Mr Hughes suffered extensive injuries to both legs.
An investigation by the Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) into the incident found that none of the staff or volunteers involved in the work had received sufficient training, or been provided with appropriate personal protective equipment. In addition, no planning had taken place, and the railway crane being used was unstable, defective and not certified.
David Keay, ORR’s head of inspection, railway operators, said: “There are hundreds of heritage railways in Great Britain, and the vast majority are run in a safe and professional manner. However, in this instance, those working on the Telford Steam Railway put their lives at risk, attempting to move a 450kg length of rail with an unstable and defective crane, without training or planning.
“We will not allow such an inexcusable and casual approach to the safety of those working on Britain’s railways.
“Safety is the rail regulator‘s priority, and this year we will be inspecting heritage railways across Britain to ensure they are being operated safely.”
On July 10, Telford Steam Railway pleaded guilty to one charge under section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
