Wiltshire company fined after tyre explosion death

CB Skip Hire of Salisbury, Wiltshire has been fined £150,000 for failing to ensure workers’ safety after Slovakian worker Jozef Trhan was killed while inflating a tyre on one of the company’s industrial waste moving machines in February 2008. The tyre exploded after sections of the wheel Trhan had welded earlier that day came apart, causing the inner tube to explode. Salisbury Crown Court found the company had not checked Trhan had been given the training necessary to complete the tasks.

The Health and Safety Executive inspector said the incident “could easily have led to more deaths and injuries”. Earlier the Court had heard that the company’s “lack of regular vehicle maintenance and absence of training” had been partially responsible for the accident that led to Trhan’s death. It was also reported that the company’s lax attitude to training had led to workers “welding the wheel components into place, which they incorrectly thought would improve safety.” CB Skip Hire was also ordered to pay £55,000 in costs.