Door makers issue safety warning

The Door & Hardware Federation (DHF) has urged caution with improper installation, maintenance and specification following the death of 33-year-old Mark Mathers, who was strangled by his hoodie while fixing a garage door.

The incident took place on 15^th September 2018 at Specialist Cars Volkswagen in Aberdeen. Mr Mathers was replacing a broken sectional door spring when his hooded sweater became hooked and wrapped around the balancing system.

His employer, Patrick Forman Industrial Doors, was prosecuted last month and fined £165,000.

 Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard  that Patrick Forman Industrial Doors had neglected to make a sufficient assessment of the safety risks faced by its employees, such as those associated with door springs.  The company also pleaded guilty to failing to implement and maintain a safe system of work for staff while repairing and maintaining doors.  It also failed to provide the necessary information, instruction, training and supervision to ensure the safety of its personnel when working with the door springs in question.  Sheriff Christine McCrossan told the court that it is the 'duty of every employer to ensure the health and safety of all its employees', adding that 'it is an offence to fail to discharge that duty'.

In the wake of the hearing, DHF senior training & compliance officer Nick Perkins said: “This tragedy could very well have been avoided had a safe system been put in place. The court heard that Mr Mathers had been replacing a sectional door spring with a colleague when his hooded top got caught and wound around the spring, choking him.  The work was being carried out while one of two springs was still under tension; the tension was inadvertently released and this resulted in fatal injuries.

“To avoid a repetition of such an incident, we strongly urge installation and maintenance companies that, in all circumstances, all of the tension on all of the springs must be removed carefully and methodically, using the correct specification properly fitting tensioning bars or other task specific tools and methodology as a first step before any further work is undertaken.  Appropriate clothing, personal protective equipment, and safe access equipment are also vital to ensure the safe execution of door maintenance tasks.  Companies are reminded that adequate risk assessment and creation of corresponding method statements (RAMS) are necessary for most tasks on site under management of health and safety law.”

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