A demolition company and its director have been prosecuted after a worker sustained serious injuries when he was crushed by two 10-tonne steel girders.

S. Evans and Sons Limited of Ditton Road, Widnes pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. It has been fined £150,000 with more than £9,523 in costs.

Company director, Samuel Evans, pleaded guilty to breaching two counts of Section 37 of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, in relation to the company's failing of Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and Regulation 4(3) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years and ordered to carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.

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Liverpool Crown Court heard how Mr Evans was operating machinery to stack the girders on 19 October 2015.

However, the employee was injured when one of the girders dropped onto his arms, resulting in his left arm and right hand being amputated.

A Heath and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found S. Evans and Sons failed to apply appropriate control measures including ensuring the right equipment for the task was used. In addition, Managing Director Samuel Evans was directly involved in the incident and found personally responsible for both the choice in equipment and the manner in which the task was performed.

After the hearing, HSE inspector Rohan Lye said: "If the company and its director had taken basic steps to decide how to do this routine task, and what control measures to use, they could have prevented this devastating incident resulting in an employee suffering life-changing injuries."

(LM/MH)