Bakery Fined $1.3 Million After Fatal Fall
"Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in Great Britain. The risks associated with working at height are well known," said HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham.
A bakery located in England was fined $1.3 million on Sept. 5 in connection with the death of a self-employed electrical contractor from a fall four years ago. The Health and Safety Executive reported that Hull Crown Court learned the worker was contracted to complete electrical work at Greencore Grocery Ltd site in Hull, which is in East Yorkshire. He was standing on a stepladder to wire a motor located above a machine; the bakery agreed the work activity could be completed using a stepladder and had provided it.
HSE, which investigated the case, reported the contract employee fell from the stepladder and suffered fatal injuries. The investigators found Greencore failed to plan the work properly, and the bakery pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has been fined £1million, equivalent to about $1.3 million in U.S. dollars, and ordered to pay costs of £30,000.
"Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in Great Britain. The risks associated with working at height are well known," said HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham. "Work at height regulations require that all work at height is properly planned and appropriate access is provided. If Greencore had carried this out, this death could have been prevented."