A COMPANY has been fined nearly £300,000 after a worker was crushed by a crane and lost his leg.

Welder Felix Trefas, 27, was subcontracted by F Brazil Reinforcements Ltd, based in Charfleets Industrial Estate, Canvey, to make large steel cages.

When a crane used to move the cages broke down on June 10, 2015, a colleague asked Mr Trefas to climb up and reset the trip switch.

Another worker - unaware that Mr Trefas was there - moved another crane at the same time. His leg was crushed between the two structures.

He was rushed to hospital, where doctors were forced to amputate his left leg below the knee.

F Brazil Reinforcements Ltd pleaded guilty to failure to discharge their health and safety duty to a person other than an employee, and two contraventions of health and safety regulations.

Prosecuting for the Health and Safety Executive, Briony Clarke said: “Another worker who hadn’t realised that Mr Trefas was there, moved an adjacent crane which came into contact with the crane he was on, crushing his leg. He asked them to move the crane back and saw that his leg was attached by the skin only.”

In his victim statement, Mr Trefas said he feels isolated and that his relationship with his girlfriend broke down after the incident. He had nightmares and still has trouble sleeping.

District judge John Woollard told Southend Magistrates Court that the cranes were poorly maintained, meaning that workers regularly had to climb up to reset. A safe solution was not in place.

He also heard that the toilet and washing facilities at the site were extremely dirty, despite previous enforcement from the Health and Safety Executive.

Sentencing, he said: “This was an extremely dangerous system which appears to have been adopted by the company rather than seeking to put it right. It should never have happened.”

The company was fined £282,000 and ordered to pay £11,904.88 in costs and a £120 victim surcharge. Compensation was not awarded because a civil case is ongoing.

Speaking after the hearing, Health and Safety Executive inspector Sue Matthews said: “Felix is lucky that he was not killed but this preventable accident has changed the life of a previously fit and hard-working young man irrevocably.”