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The fines and costs which may flow from a safety related incident can be significant, not to mention the reputational stigma which the company will suffer. We set out below examples of recent prosecutions which give a flavour of the sentences handed down following conviction. For further information on any of these cases please do not hesitate to contact Rhys Griffiths of our Corporate Risk Management Group.
Steel beam falls and fatally injures worker
Injury: | Death |
Fine: |
£180,000 |
Company: |
J H Carruthers Ltd (formerly Konecranes (UK) Ltd) |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£74,000 |
Source: | HSE, 13 January 2012 |
Global manufacturer prosecuted over factory worker's death
Injury: | Death |
Fine: | £160,000 |
Compnay |
Curver UK Ltd (formerly Contico Europe Ltd) |
Legislation: |
Regulation 11(1) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations under Section 33(1)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 |
Costs: | £32,000 |
Source: | HSE, 13 January 2012 |
Three companies fined after worker falls from roof
Injury: |
Number of fractures to back as well as fractures and dislocation to left shoulder. Worker also suffered puncture wound to lower back. |
Fine: |
£135,000 (Dundee Cold Stores) £135,000 (Electroguard) £66,000 (Robert AS Crockett) |
Individual: |
Dundee Cold Stores Electroguard Security Systems Robert A.S. Crockett and Partners Ltd |
Company: | Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Legislation: |
Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Dundee Cold Stores and Electroguard) Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Robert AS Crockett) |
Costs: |
n/a |
Source: |
HSE, 24 January 2012 |
Hampshire firm fined over death of delivery
Injury: | Death |
Fine: |
£65,000 |
Company: |
Wessex Lift Co Limited |
Legislation: |
Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£60,000 |
Source: | HSE, 24 January 2012 |
Lichfield firm fined after man's neck broken
Injury: |
Broken neck and right wrist |
Fine: |
£60,000 |
Company: |
Palletways (UK) Ltd |
Legislation: |
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£41,339 |
Source: | HSE, 6 January 2012 |
Firm fined after workers put at risk
Injury: |
None – company failed to heed warnings from the HSE |
Fine: |
£54,000 (£18,000 for each breach) |
Company: |
Haz International Ltd |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974; Regulation 13(2) of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2007; and Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 |
Costs: |
£13,280 |
Source: | HSE, 16 January 2012 |
Suffolk County Council fined for health and safety breaches
Injury: |
Child fractured skull in fall in school; IT technician shattered arm in fall in school |
Fine: |
£48,000 (£14,000 for each breach of HSWA and £3,000 for each breach of CVWR) |
Company: |
Suffolk CC |
Legislation: |
Various breaches of Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 relating to two schools and council's highways department; Section 2 of Control of Vibration of Work Regulations |
Costs: | £43,772 |
Source: | HSE, 9 January 2012 |
Fork lift fall leads to prosecution for Derbyshire company
Injury: |
Fractured back and crushed disk |
Fine: | £24,000 |
Company: |
Vesuvius UK Limited |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, and Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 |
Costs: | £4,815 |
Source: |
HSE, 5 January 2012 |
Risk of explosion from gas release put lives at risk
Injury: |
None – fine for putting employees at risk |
Fine: | £17,000 |
Company: |
Avanti Gas Ltd (formerly Shell Gas Ltd) |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£3,054.45 |
Source: |
HSE, 5 January 2012 |
Social care workers exposed to violence and aggression
Injury: |
None – fine for exposing workers to risk of violence and aggression |
Fine: |
£14,000 |
Company: |
Dimensions (UK) Ltd |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) and Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£30,000 |
Source: |
HSE, 17 January 2012 |
Evesham firm fined for worker's fall through glass roof
Injury: |
Concussion with blood on the brain, fractured hand and other cuts and bruises |
Fine: | £12,000 |
Company: |
Westland Nurseries (Offenham) Ltd |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: | £6,835 |
Source: |
HSE, 5 January 2012 |
Metal firm's safety flaws exposed after worker crushed
Injury: |
Broken shoulder, two cracked ribs and the tops of three vertebrae were snapped off |
Fine: |
£10,000 |
Individual: |
Yorkshire Spin Galvanising Ltd |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£5,000 |
Source: |
HSE, 5 January 2012 |
Worker burned by molten metal at Worcester factory
Injury: |
Serious burns to his right arm, shoulder, leg and face |
Fine: |
£6,000 |
Company: |
JVM Castings (Worcester) Ltd |
Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
Costs: |
£4,000 |
Source: |
HSE, 19 January 2012 |
Norfolk companies prosecuted after worker crushes hand
Injury: |
Hand severely damaged (required extensive surgery and skin grafts) |
Fine: |
£2,000 (SGA) £6,000 (Watton Produce) |
Companies: |
SGA House services Limited Watton Produce Company Limited |
Legislation: |
Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at work etc. Act 1974 (SGA) Regulation 11 of the provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1988 (Watton Produce) |
Costs: |
£2,467 (SGA) £7,402 (Watton Produce) |
Source: |
HSE, 19 January 2012 |
Demolition worker fined after colleague was severely injured
Injury: |
Serious injuries to left leg, broken right ankle and shattered shin |
Sentence: |
120 hours community service |
Individual: |
Devon Stoner |
Legislation: |
section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act |
Costs: |
£500 |
Source: |
HSE, 12 January 2012 |