A plant hire company has been fined £200,000 for health and safety failings that lead to an employee falling five metres to his death.
HSE prosecuted the company who admitted breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety At Work etc Act 1974 states: "It shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees."
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showed that the company, based in Warrington, failed to follow its own health and safety guidelines for work at height. The company, was also ordered to pay £15,698.30 in costs at Maidstone Crown Court .
The 55 year old man had worked, for less than three months, as a fitter at the company's depot in Kent - where they provide portable accommodation units to the construction industry when he died on 16 August 2006. His job was to prepare the accommodation units - including site huts, welfare units and storage containers - which were then hired out to construction companies. With two units stacked on top of each other, the man climbed onto the top of the stack to help attach lifting chains so that the top unit could be lifted down. He fell more than five metres and died at the scene.
The company had a written procedure for work on top of accommodation units in its depots and at customers' sites. This required people to wear a safety harness and inertia reel line and climb a secured ladder. If they slipped or fell, the line would lock and prevent a serious fall.
HSE's investigation found that workers at the depot had not been issued with this kit or been trained to use it and most did not know the company had a special procedure for doing this work.
The court heard that despite the depot handling up to 15 accommodation unit movements a day, management at the depot did not ensure that workers were aware of the procedure and did not ensure that the work was only done by those trained, equipped and authorised.
The HSE inspector concerned said: "This was a wholly avoidable incident which led to a tragic and totally unnecessary loss of life".
"It is completely inexcusable that the company had identified the risks, prepared an adequate procedure to manage the risk, and then failed to implement that procedure to protect their workers.
"Health and safety is not just about filling in forms or thinking about risk, it's about taking action to prevent people being killed or injured while trying to do their job.
"I hope this case will be an example to other companies that not only must health and safety be taken seriously but also followed through."
Last year more than 4,000 employees suffered major injuries after falling from height at work, and 21 workers in the construction industry died.
Merit Skills believe that training has a key part to play in helping companies ensure that they have safe systems of work in place and that managers and employees are competent in their respective roles. Why not give us a call to discuss your where we might help your organisation on 01733 246415
For more information on this and other cases please go to visit the HSE website.