Garage fined after car crushes worker as he prayed

A mechanic has been left "unable to do simple daily tasks" after a car suspended from a vehicle lift fell on top of him as he prayed, a court heard.

The 56-year-old victim, named as Mohammed Hamad by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), suffered a broken leg, three fractures to his spine, five broken ribs and a broken pelvis and spent four months in hospital.

The HSE prosecuted the garage, Car Spa & Tyres Ltd in Liverpool, after the accident on 23 November 2022.

The firm, based in Marvin Street, Kensington, was fined £40,000 and ordered to pay £20,000 in costs at Liverpool Crown Court on Tuesday after being convicted of breaching health and safety rules by a jury.

The HSE said Mr Hamad, from Toxteth in Liverpool, was working on a car raised up on a two-post lift when he took a break to pray.

An investigation concluded that two swivel arms on one of the columns were not locked into position, and the vehicle fell onto Mr Hamad.

Inspectors found the garage had failed to put in place a safe system of work, or to sufficiently train their staff in the safe operation of lifting equipment.

More than two years on, Mr Hamad is still "highly dependent" on his wife, is unable to carry out simple daily tasks and is unlikely to be ever able to work again, the HSE said.

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."

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