The “gentle giant” was crushed to death under a hydraulic press weighing 1,000 tons after violating the health and safety of his employer – who is now fined more than half a million pounds.
Colin Willoughby, 52, was known as “the man in need of difficult engineering problems” in his role at Graham Engineering Ltd in Nelson, Lancashire, the court heard.
But on May 21, 2018, the popular engineer was killed instantly when a piston loosened, crushing it to death while working under the press, reports Lancs Live.
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Before working on the equipment, Mr Willoughby and his colleagues had a “toolbox conversation” but no formal risk assessment had been carried out, Judge Philippe Pari said.
In Preston Crown court, Graham Engineering Ltd was sentenced to pay £ 645,487.82 after being found guilty of violating the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1974. The company’s director, Stuart Fraser, was acquitted of the same charge. however, he appeared in court to represent the company in the sentencing hearing.
Stuart Fraser, CEO of Graham Engineering Ltd (Image: LancsLive)
Judge Money said Graham Engineering acquired the Hugh Smith 1000 press from an Ipswich company in 2015. It was inspected by a man named Peter Egan, who concluded it was in poor condition. In order for the machine to be put back into operation, the piston will have to be removed and chrome-plated again, Mr Egan said.
The press remained on site, but in 2017 Graham Engineering signed a major contract with Siemens to manufacture components for MRI scanners. Mr. Fraser thought Hugh Smith’s press would be ideal for this job, but it would have to be relocated and inspected.
Mr. Egan recommended that the company use specialized lifting equipment, as the press is extremely heavy and has an unusual design. However, in two separate cases it was lifted on traverses with two forklifts – exceeding the limits of their safe working load by 4-5 tons.
On May 15, 2018, the press was lifted and Mr. Willoughby and Mr. Egan slid down from behind to examine the underside of the press. “At this stage, no one had any idea what was happening under the moving table, as it had never been inspected,” Judge Pari said.
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“The press was so heavy and unusually shaped that it was described as a ‘non-standard lift’ and had to be subject to its own risk assessment,” he added.
The two men inspected the 0.25-ton cap that held the piston in place and found that it had been held in place by “bad and rough welding.” No risk assessment was introduced for lifting the equipment or working under it, Judge Pari added.
On May 21, 2018, Mr. Fraser asked a number of employees to lift the press a little further off the ground using the same forklift technique and the cap under the lifting table was removed. “It did not appear to have been assessed that the cap was attached to the chrome piston,” the judge said.
That afternoon, Mr. Fraser, Mr. Willoughby, and another employee, Michael Jones, went under the press to investigate the condition of the machine, and shortly afterwards, Mr. Willoughby set about grinding the weld. The piston loosened and fell on Mr. Willoughby, crushing him to death.
The Executive Director of Health and Safety was notified and the company is cooperating in the investigation into the death of Mr. Willoughby. Following a trial in the Crown Court in Preston in January 2022, Graham Engineering Ltd was convicted of failing to protect the health and safety of one or more employees.
Stuart Fraser, Director of Graham Engineering, pictured leaving Preston Crown Court (Image: James Maloney / Lancs Live)
Condemning the verdict, Judge Pari said there was an “inherent risk” of lifting equipment with two forklifts and exceeding their limits for safe workload. The judge said that although no one was injured during the lifting process, the unusual shape and size of the equipment should have triggered an individual risk assessment.
Before raising the press, Mr. Fraser informed colleagues about the technique they will use. Judge Pari described the briefing as “a conversation from the toolbox on a whiteboard, which was inadequate and bad at best.” “They made it up as they walked,” he said.
Further risk assessments had to be carried out before anyone in the company started working on or near the press, he added. “The work under the press, including on May 17 and 21, was carried out without a risk assessment. There were many, many inherent dangers.
The judge said he had taken into account the company’s previous good health and safety results. Through his lawyers, Graham Engineering offered its condolences to Mr. Willoughby’s family.
Paying tribute to her husband, Mr. Willoughby’s wife Jane described him as “a strong Goliath, but still a gentle giant.” She said she was devastated by his death at work. Judge Money fined the company £ 500,000 and ordered him to pay £ 145,487.82 in costs. He ended the hearing with the words “Rest in Peace, Colin Willoughby.”
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