Company Pays Fine After Worker Suffers Serious Injuries from a Fall
The Kettering Magistrates Court directed Dodson and Horrell Limited, a company based in Kettering, to pay a fine to the tune of £2,000 and costs of £2,255 after it pleaded guilty to the violation of Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, which requires them to assess the risk that is posed to the life and well being of employees working at heights.
The verdict followed an incident in July 2008 in which an elderly worker of the company, who was lubricating a machine used to place animal feed bags on pallets in the Ringstead, Northamptonshire site of the company, fell from a height of 6 feet. He suffered serious injuries from the fall, including broken ribs and a perforated lung.
After the verdict, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has warned companies about their obligations in this regard considering that at least 1,000 workers suffer a serious accident in the workplace every month as a result of an avoidable fall or a trip.
Michelle Morrison, speaking for the HSE, said that this judgment will go a long way in reminding companies that they will have to bear the brunt of not following the safety regulations. Ensuring the safety of the employees is their responsibility and if they fail to do so, they will be held liable for it, she said. 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.
