Locations
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.
High street retailer fined £1 Million for safety failings. Three contractors also fined
| Injury: | None – fine for putting safety of public, staff and construction workers at risk |
| Fine: |
£1 million (M&S) |
| Company: |
Marks and Spencer plc |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) and section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (M&S, Willmott Dixon, Styles & Wood) |
| Costs: | £600,000 (M&S) £40,000 (Styles & Wood) £75,000 (Willmott Dixon) |
| Source: | HSE, 27 September 2011 |
Worker crushed in potato harvester
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: |
£112,000 |
| Individual: |
GJ Orr |
| Legislation: | Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 15 September 2011 |
County Durham firm fined after worker crushed to death
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: |
£100,000 |
| Company: |
Tallent Automotive Limited-Gestamp Automocion |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £44,000 |
| Source: | HSE, 30 September 2011 |
Firm fined over cooling tower drowning
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: |
£35,000 |
| Company: |
Epsco Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £120,000 |
| Source: | HSE, 21 September 2011 |
Shetland firm fined after worker injured in fall
| Injury: | Fractured vertebrae in back, broken left arm in two places, broken thumbs and multiple abrasions to face and neck |
| Fine: |
£26,700 |
| Company: |
Ness Engineering Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 21 September 2011 |
Kent factory fined after worker suffers severe head injuries
| Injury: | Severe head injuries |
| Fine: |
£20,000 |
| Company: |
W.E. Roberts (Corrugated) Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £12,190 |
| Source: | HSE, 29 August 2011 |
Worker's fingers severed by wood cutting machine
| Injury: | Severed thumb and all four fingers |
| Fine: |
£14,000 |
| Individual: |
Richard Griffiths |
| Legislation: | Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 5 of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 |
| Costs: | £8,500 |
| Source: | HSE, 30 September 2011 |
Construction company fined after worker suffers severe burns from electrical explosion
| Injury: | Suffered burns to between 30 to 35 percent of body, plus skin graft from legs to body and arms. |
| Fine: |
£10,000 |
| Companies: |
Pineview Interiors Limited |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £4,183 |
| Source: | HSE, 15 August 2011 |
Aberdeen company fined after man falls from scaffolding
| Injury: | Collapsed lung and five fractured ribs |
| Fine: |
£10,000 |
| Company: |
Spark's Mechanical Services Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 197 |
| Costs: | n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 22 September 2011 |
Street light workman fined over toddler injury
| Injury: | Stitches to head |
| Fine: |
£2,250 |
| Individual: |
Joseph Parker |
| Legislation: | Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £2,888 |
| Source: | HSE, 16 September 2011 |
Building site manager fined for ignoring safety notices
| Injury: | None – ignorance of improvement notices |
| Fine: |
£1,280 plus victim surcharge of £15 |
| Companies: |
aider Zaman, trading as Pride Builders |
| Legislation: |
Two breaches of Section 33 (1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 |
| Costs: |
£1,500 |
| Source: | HSE, 16 September 2011 |