June 22, 2009
Violation of Safety Regulations Costs Company over £4000
Dodson and Horrell Limited, a Kettering based animal feed company, recently pleaded guilty for the contravention of Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, before the Kettering Magistrates Court, after a worker suffered serious injuries from a fall.
The incident that led to the prosecution took place in the company’s premises in Ringstead, Northamptonshire about a year ago when a 53-year-old worker fell from a height of approximately six feet, resulting in a punctured lung and broken ribs.
The court’s verdict ordered the company to pay a hefty fine and costs as the court held that the employers had not studied the risk involved in doing maintenance work at such a height as was required under the regulations. The failure to mitigate this risk was the direct cause of the accident.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) said that employers need to properly assess the risk of such incidents and take actions to address them. Every month about 1000 workers get hurt in accidents at workplaces due to reasons such as falls and trips, and there is an urgent need to address the problem. IOSH courses from Workplace Law Training are designed to give managers and supervisors all they need to know to help handle health and safety in their teams; click on IOSH managing for more info.
Michelle Morrison, HSE Inspector for the case, added that the verdict should serve as a warning for owners and managers that the company will have to bear the financial burden of not complying with the regulations and ensuring proper safety of workers.