Moment welder crushed at Sunderland shipyard caught on CCTV
A welder was crushed while working at a shipyard in Sunderland in 2022, newly-released CCTV footage shows.
David Vinsome, 37, from North Shields, sustained multiple rib fractures and internal injuries following the incident at Pallion Shipyard, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said on Tuesday, 25 February.
He was crushed between an excavation bucket and a fabrication table.
HSE said the company failed to ensure that the lifting activity was properly planned by a competent person or carried out in a safe manner, and failed to establish a safe system of work for this activity – leading to a breakdown of communication between the multiple operators involved.
Midland Steel Traders Ltd, Portobello Ind Est, Shadon Way, Chester le Street, pleaded guilty to breaching Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The company was fined £100,000 and told to pay £4,916 costs at Newcastle Magistrates Court on 13 February 2025.
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On that occasion, Lawrie Demolition was fined £40,000 after admitting breaching a safety regulation. During the latest hearing, which took place earlier this week, Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard how Lawrie Demolition was contracted to knock down two industrial units at Baker Hughes' former Woodside Road base in Bridge of Don in 2023. Demolishing the north building was easy, the court heard, as it had a simple, modern design. But things were trickier with the south building, as there was asbestos in the roof. It meant a five-man team had to unbolt metal sheets from the roof, move them a short distance and then lower them through a hole in the skylight. Before work began, Lawrie Demolition was supposed to put a robust safety plan in place to ensure workers did not fall. Their idea was to put up crowd barriers around the skylight, secured with plastic ties – but the barriers were not properly fixed to the roof structure. On May 25 2023, the team had removed four of the metal sheets without issue. But the court heard there was 'a heated discussion' between the workers about the method of removing the sheets. They then changed the method, which led to Mr Zdunczyk walking backwards during removal. The court heard how, as he moved the fifth metal sheet, Mr Zdunczyk lost his balance and collided with one of the crowd barriers, which then moved out of place. This created a gap – and Mr Zdunczyk plunged 18ft through it down to the floor, suffering severe injury and permanent impairment. Depute fiscal David Glancy told the court: 'Mr Zdunczyk's colleagues gave him first aid and alerted the emergency services. 'He was taken by ambulance to ARI with fractured ribs and a fractured pelvis. 'Mr Zdunczyk was unable to work for six months. 'Before this incident, he loved to play football, run and swim and can no longer pursue any of those activities. 'He has returned to work, but can no longer work from height.' 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Airport fined after pensioner dies following fall from lift
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