A Birmingham tyre firm and its landlord have been fined a total of £43,333 after pleading guilty to breaching health and safety legislation.
Birmingham City Council brought the prosecution following a routine inspection on 14 February 2019, where a large platform lift at Blue Tyres Birmingham Limited was found to be dangerous with a safety gate missing and a safety interlock and mains control panel bypassed, resulting in a Prohibition Notice.
Whilst inspecting another business on 4 June 2019, a council Health and Safety inspector found the mains power to the lift had been switched back on; it had been used without the defects rectified.
Blues Tyres Birmingham Limited - based at Unit 13, 201 Coventry Road, Small Heath - was fined £26,677 and ordered to pay £3,751.35 in costs along with a £170 victim surcharge.
The firm’s landlord 365 Services Limited, based at 18-22 Stoney Lane, Yardley was fined £16,666 and ordered to pay £4,000 costs and a £170 victim surcharge.
365 Services Limited was prosecuted under the Section 4 (2) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, while Blues Tyres Birmingham Limited was prosecuted under Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
Cllr Philip Davis, Chair of the city council’s Licensing and Public Protection Committee, said: “In this case, the lift was still being used months after it was identified as being dangerous to use by a health and safety inspector. Both companies are very fortunate no harm came to any persons using the lift after the Prohibition Notice was served.
“Falling from height is a well-known cause of serious or fatal injuries, our officers will continue to take action where minimum standards of health and safety are not met or flouted.”
Birmingham City Council August 2021
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