Simon Lowe, 30, has been unable to return to work since suffering horrific injuries when working for Dupre Minerals Ltd. The accident happened when Mr Lowe was working with an industrial hopper grill and had climbed in to it with a bag of mineral vermiculite. When emptying the bag he fell on to spikes, which are part of the hopper’s grid, causing serious injuries including a broken pelvis, fractured spine, lacerated tendons and deep puncture wounds.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident and following the findings, Dupre Minerals Ltd pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

Lucky to be alive after accident

HSE inspector Wayne Owen commented after the hearing on 17 July 2010:

"Mr Lowe's injuries were such that his hospital consultant told him he was lucky to be alive.”

Phil Kyte, a solicitor in Thompsons Solicitors Serious Injuries Team said "The terrible injuries Mr Lowe has sustained highlights how critical carrying out a detailed and accurate risk assessment is. Any number of risks faced by employees on a day to day basis across the country can often be avoided by such simple steps.”

Source: http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2011/coi-wm-47911.htm#?eban=rss-