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ORGANISATION WARNING FOLLOWING
HARRISON FORD ACCIDENT COURT CASE
»»THE COMPANY
responsible for a hydraulic
door that badly injured actor
Harrison Ford has pleaded
guilty to criminal charges in
a prosecution brought by the
Health & Safety Executive.
Sentencing was originally
due on Monday, August 22
but has been adjourned until
October.
The accident happened at
the Pinewood studio during
the production of the latest Star
Wars film. Harrison Ford was
hit by the rapidly closing metalframed door and pinned to the
ground. An HSE representative
compared the power of the
door’s drive system “to the
weight of a small car. This was a
foreseeable incident,” the court
was told.
This high profile incident
throws into sharp focus the
responsibilities of owners
and managers, and all those
who specify powered access
products and equipment. This
is according to the Door &
Hardware Federation (DHF)
whose members manufacture,
supply and maintain industrial
and commercial doors,
automated gates, garage doors
and barriers.
DHF training officer Nick
Perkins said: “This court
case serves as a warning to
everybody involved in the
powered access sector that they
must ensure that all adequate
safety measures are provided
wherever there is the risk of
people being injured by a
moving door, gate or barrier.
“Without these measures
in place there is the real
risk of accidents leading to
death, serious injury and
criminal prosecution of those
responsible.
“In this case Harrison
Ford was pinned down by
the hydraulically operated
door which reputedly could
have killed him. Luckily he
survived, albeit with serious
injuries that included a
broken leg. His death was only
prevented because someone
was thankfully able to activate
an emergency stop - but
not before injury had been
caused.”
He said owners and
managers must ensure
industrial doors, domestic
garage doors, powered gates
and traffic barriers - regardless
of when they were installed
- meet the current standards
which detail the levels of safety
required.
DHF members operate
strictly to current safety
standards and benefit from
the best possible industry
training.
www.dhfonlineorg.uk
Small firms welcome
strength in UK job market
»»THE LATEST UK JOBS
numbers show unemployment
falling to 1.64 million,
down by 52,000 from the
previous period, with
the unemployment rate
continuing at 4.9%. Wage
growth has risen slightly - with
average earnings, including
bonuses, up by 2.4%, a
slightly higher rate of growth
compared to the previous
period.
The figures are the first
to be published which
include the effect from the
introduction of the National
Living Wage. The continuing
strong performance of the
labour market suggests that
businesses have, for now,
managed to absorb the cost of
the new wage and maintain
slow but steady growth in job
and wages.
Mike Cherry, National
Chairman of the Federation of
Small Businesses (FSB), said:
“The strength of the UK job
market statistics shows the
determination of our small
businesses to grow and take
on new people. Since the
2009 downturn small firms
have been at the forefront of
creating new opportunities
and these figures proves they
are continuing to do so.
“Small businesses are
dealing with considerable
new cost challenges,
including the National
Living Wage and pensions
auto-enrolment deadlines.
However, our data suggests
small businesses are playing
their part and choosing to
absorb these costs rather than
suspend hiring.
“Looking forward, we
know the result of the EU
referendum has brought new
uncertainty about the future
and this could impact future
jobs growth. Small business
will need reassurances from
Government that it will
support them and listen to
their needs throughout the
coming negotiations.”
Source: FSB
LOCKSMITHJOURNAL.CO.UK | SEP/OCT 2016