Fall from height prosecution

Thursday, 11 November 2010

A pizza manufacturer in Hounslow has been fined £15,000 and ordered to pay a further £2,607 in costs after they failed to comply with an Improvement Notice issued by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Capri Foods Ltd was first served with the notice on 29th July 2009 after the HSE made a visit to their factory. Inspectors found that a doorway standing four metres above the ground, which was used to load and unload goods from a forklift truck, posed a continuous risk of a fall from height. The doorway was kept open even when the fork-lift truck was not in operation and there were no railings or barriers to prevent employees from falling through it.

Capri Foods Ltd pleaded guilty at City of London Magistrates Court to breaching the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005. The court heard how the improvement notice issued by the HSE required the firm to make improvements by 1st November 2009 but a follow-up inspection on 9th December showed that no progress had been made.

Commenting on the case, HSE Inspector Steve Kirton said: “Falls from height remain one of the biggest dangers in the workplace, accounting for a fifth of all deaths and scores of serious injuries in the food manufacturing sector alone according to our latest official figures.

“So it’s incredibly frustrating to see a company like Capri Foods blatantly ignoring calls to protect employees when such a clear and obvious risk has been identified. Fortunately no-one was hurt on this occasion, but the consequences of falling through that door could have been horrific.”

“It is the duty of employers to ensure that they take all measures that are reasonably practicable to protect their employees from harm. All firms, especially those in high risk industries such as manufacturing or construction, should conduct a thorough risk assessment of their premises. This will enable them to identify any potential safety hazards and deal with them before they become an issue.

By encouraging, facilitating and leading communication of good practices and expertise, we aim to promote awareness of health and safety matters in the workplace and ensure that high standards are achieved, and maintained.

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IOSH aims to increase its contribution within the European Community and explore ways in which it can more directly influence European directives and guidance.