Industry news
Serious fall lands firm in trouble
Posted Fri, 29 Jun 2012
A manufacturing company and its boss have been punished in court after two young agency workers were seriously injured in a fall.
Warwick-based Storetec Limited and Director Brian Crossan were fined £22,000 and £3,500 respectively at Derby Crown Court after failing to ensure the health and safety of staff and not following guidelines for the design of the platform they fell from.
Eighteen year-old Leon Payne from Sutton in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire broke his back in the accident at the Sawpit Lane Industrial Estate in Tibshelf on 6 April 2009 and his colleague, who was also 18 but wants to remain anonymous, had to have pins and a metal plate inserted into his feet after breaking both heels.
Both the firm and Director pleaded guilty after the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the incident, with Storetec admitting a breach of Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and having to pay £12,134 in costs and a £15 victim surcharge as well.
Mr Crossan confessed to contravening Regulation 5(1) of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 and was instructed to pay costs of £7,866 and a £15 victim surcharge in addition to his £3,500 fine.
Copyright Press Association 2012