Mechanic crushed by car at work during break

Man crushed by falling car while taking his break

The car fell from a two-post car vehicle lift onto a worker. The man was working at Car Spa & Tyres Ltd. A garage worker spent four months in hospital after he was crushed by a car that fell onto him while he was praying on his break. Liverpool Magistrates’ Court this week heard how the man suffered multiple serious fractures in the incident at Car Spa & Tyres Ltd on Marvin Street, Kensington on November 23, 2022.

Mohammed Hamad, 56, from Toxteth, was working as a mechanic at the Marvin Street premises of Car Spa & Tyres Ltd at the time. He was working on a vehicle which had been raised on a two-post lift but neither swivel arm on one of the lifting columns was locked into position.

As Mr Hamad took a break to pray, the car fell from the lift, crushing him beneath and causing multiple serious fractures. He was taken to Aintree Hospital, where he was found to have a broken leg, three broken bones in his spine, five broken ribs, and a broken pelvis.

Mr Hamad spent four months in hospital because of his injuries. He has been left highly dependent upon his wife, and others, to carry out even simple daily tasks. It is unlikely he will be able to work again.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that Car Spa & Tyres Ltd had failed to put in place a safe system of work, or to sufficiently train their staff, in the proper, and safe operation of the lifting equipment.

The company was found guilty by the jury of breaching regulation 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at a hearing at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on June 25.

After the hearing, HSE inspector David Bellis said: \"This was a very serious incident, and it is fortunate nobody was killed as a result. If Mr Hamad had been suitably trained in the use of the two-post lift, the company had a suitable system of work in place and the swivel arms had been positioned correctly and locked into place this incident would have been avoided. The HSE take all accidents seriously, especially those that could have been easily prevented, and will not hesitate to prosecute, whenever it is appropriate\".

The prosecution was brought by HSE enforcement lawyer Karen Park and paralegal officer Gabrielle O’Sullivan. The ECHO has approached Car Spa & Tyres Ltd for comment.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is Britain’s national regulator for workplace health and safety. It works to prevent work-related death, injury, and ill health through regulatory actions.