In the first of our series on personal injury stories that have hit the news this week, we take a look at a number of health and safety cases that have hit the headlines since 19 August 2013. This includes a number of Health and Safety Executive prosecutions

Pirelli in court over injuries at Carlisle tyre factory

Tyre manufacturer Pirelli has appeared in court after an employee sustained major injuries to his left arm when it became trapped in a tyre-testing machine.

The 57-year-old from Carlisle, who has asked not to be named, broke his arm in three places, was off work for four months and still has difficulty moving his shoulder following the incident on 3 January 2012.

Worker could claim personal injury after faulty rope led to amputation for outdoors instructor

A Southampton firm was today prosecuted after an outdoors activity instructor was left permanently disabled when he used a defective rope for a simulated parachute landing.

Joshua Senior, 25, plunged some nine metres to the ground at the Rock (UK) adventure centre in Carroty Wood, near Tonbridge, Kent, on 25 August 2010. Instead of allowing Mr Senior to descend in a measured way, the rope supplied by Pfeifer Rope & Tackle Ltd simply unravelled as he stepped off a platform for a practice descent.

Vauxhall owner sentenced over Ellesmere Port death

The owner of Vauxhall has been fined £150,000 over the death of a long-serving worker who was crushed in machinery at its car factory in Ellesmere Port.

General Motors UK Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after Ian Heard was found at the North Road plant on 22 July 2010. The 59-year-old from Birkenhead, who joined Vauxhall as an apprentice at the age of 16, was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital where he died 11 days later.

Wallasey care home fined £40k over pneumonia risk

A private care home in Wallasey has been order to pay £40,000 in fines and costs after it failed to manage the risk of elderly residents catching a potentially fatal form of pneumonia.

Mother Redcaps Care Home Ltd was prosecuted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) after it failed to comply with an Improvement Notice to assess the risk from the legionella bacteria.

Fairground operator in court for ride collapse

A fairground operator has been fined for safety failings after 22 people, many of them children, were trapped when a poorly maintained ride collapsed.

All the passengers on the Surf Rider at Skegness Pleasure Beach had to be rescued by the fire service in the incident on 30 August 2011. Seven passengers were taken to hospital, with three of those being kept in overnight but allowed home the next day.

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