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.
Meat plant worker killed by forklift
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: |
£100,000 |
| Company: |
Vion Food Scotland Limited |
| Legislation: | Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | N/A |
| Source: | HSE, 18 August 2011 |
Worker crushed between two skips
| Injury: | Broken pelvis and other life changing injuries |
| Fine: | £80,000 |
| Company: | Lowmac Alloys Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work Etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 15 August 2011 |
Fine over Livingston worker's forklift injuries accident
| Injury: | Broken leg requiring six pins and two steel plates in shin and screws in ankle and toes |
| Fine: |
£36,000 |
| Company: |
SIG Trading Limited |
| Legislation: |
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act |
| Costs: |
n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 22 August 2011 |
Burton brewery fined after man hit by forklift truck
| Injury: | Fractured foot and left wrist |
| Fine: | £31,000 |
| Company: | Molson Coors |
| Legislation: | Sections 2 and 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 |
| Costs: | £33,042 |
| Source: | HSE, 4 August 2011 |
Burton brewery fined after three men burned by caustic soda
| Injury: | Chemical burns to three men |
| Fine: |
£14,000 |
| Company: |
Molson Coors |
| Legislation: | Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: |
£43,674 |
| Source: | HSE, 4 August 2011 |
Middlesbrough firm fined after worker hurt by 600kg bag of fertiliser
| Injury: | Serious back injury, fractured right thigh and ligament damage to left leg |
| Fine: |
£7,000 (HSWA) £3,500 (MHSWR) |
| Company: | Fertiliser Solutions Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £23,392 |
| Source: | HSE, 08/07/2011 |
Cornwall timber firm fined £20,000 after worker's panel saw injury
| Injury: | Severed part of hand |
| Fine: | £20,000 |
| Company: | Frame Homes (South West) Ltd |
| Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Regulation 3(1)(a) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 |
| Costs: | £12,411.45 |
| Source: | HSE, 23 August 2011 |
County Durham firm fined after worker's fingers severed
| Injury: | Three fingers severed |
| Fine: | £10,500 (total, divided as: £7,000 HSWA; £3,500 PUWER) |
| Companies: | Derek Parnaby Cyclones International Ltd |
| Legislation: |
Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Regulation 11(1)(a) of the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 |
| Costs: | £3,266.60 |
| Source: | HSE, 3 August 2011 |
Timber firm fined after worker injured
| Injury: | Part of thumb severed |
| Fine: | £6,700 |
| Company: | Kestrel Timber Frame Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section (2)1 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £4,117 |
| Source: | HSE, 17 August 2011 |
Burnley handyman survives fall through leaking roof
| Injury: | No injuries |
| Fine: | £6,000 |
| Company: | Lupton and Place Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £6,250 |
| Source: | HSE, 11 August 2011 |
Norfolk firm prosecuted over burns to apprentice
| Injury: | Burns to face and eye |
| Fine: | £6,000 |
| Company: | Moughton Engineering |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £4,846.80 |
| Source: | HSE, 19 August 2011 |
Suffolk firm prosecuted over injury to trapped worker
| Injury: | Two broken ribs |
| Fine: | £4,500 |
| Company: | Orwell Trucks, trading as Orwell Truck and Van |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £2,726 |
| Source: | HSE, 8 August 2011 |
Satellite firm sentenced after fatal roof fall
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: | The firm is no longer trading and was shown to have no assets. The court fined the company £1 |
| Company: | Foxtel Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 |
| Costs: | n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 12 August 2011 |