Sharon Bramhall
Sharon Bramhall, a 58-year-old employee at Baker & Baker Products in Bromborough, Wirral, experienced a severe workplace incident on April 22, 2022. While supervising high-level cleaning tasks during a night shift, she was acting as a banksman for an employee operating a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP). As the MEWP turned, it struck Sharon, crushing her left leg.
The incident resulted in Sharon having her left leg amputated below the knee. She was hospitalized for three months and underwent nine operations, including several skin grafts. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation revealed that Baker & Baker Products failed to implement a suitable and sufficient safe system of work for escorting MEWPs and did not provide adequate training for the movement of the MEWP and the use of banksmen.
As a result, the company was fined £400,000 and ordered to pay additional costs. Sharon’s recovery has been challenging, and she now relies on a wheelchair.