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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.
UK Coal sentenced for safety failings that cost four lives
| Injury: | Deaths of four workers |
| Fine: |
£450,000 (£112,500 for each fatality) |
| Company: |
UK Coal Mining Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) and Section 3 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 |
| Costs: |
£750,000 (£187,500 for each fatality) |
| Source: | HSE, 14 December 2011 |
Global manufacturer prosecuted over factory worker's death
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: | £180,000 |
| Compnay | Kimberly-Clark Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £20,000 |
| Source: | HSE, 15 December 2011 |
Firms fined £100k over forklift death at Macclesfield factory
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: | £90,000 (Millennium Rubber)
£10,000 (United Crane) |
| Individual: |
Millennium Rubber United Crane Services |
| Company: | Sections 2(1) and 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: |
£21,411 (Millennium Rubber) £5,000 (United Crane) |
| Source: | HSE, 9 December 2011 |
Company fined after contractor's fatal roof fall
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: |
£75,000 |
| Company: | Morris, Marshall & Poole |
| Legislation: |
Section 3(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (Anson) Section 2(1) of the Health & Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and Regulation 5 of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 (Cambs) |
| Costs: |
£29,291.09 (Anson) £8,452.63 (Cambs) |
| Source: | HSE, 12 December 2011 |
Companies fined after worker breaks back in fall
| Injury: | Broken back |
| Fine: |
£50,015 (Anson) £18,015 (Cambs) |
| Company: |
Anson Packaging Ltd Cambs Compressor Engineering Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £11,661 |
| Source: | HSE, 29 November 2011 |
Firms fined following quarry death of Somerset father
| Injury: | Death |
| Fine: |
£27,500 (Hanson Quarry) £1,500 (R Taylor) |
| Individual: |
Hanson Quarry Products Europe Ltd Robert Taylor (owner of Quarry Maintenance Service Engineers) |
| Legislation: |
Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Hanson Quarry) Regulation 4 (2) of the Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 (R Taylor) |
| Costs: |
£ 27,000 (Hanson Quarry) £10,000 (R Taylor) |
| Source: | HSE, 22 December 2011 |
Bus company in court after apprentice's ordeal
| Injury: | Injuries to face |
| Fine: | £15,000 |
| Company: | Yorkshire Traction Company Ltd |
| Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 |
| Costs: | £8,473 |
| Source: | HSE, 12 December 2011 |
Global steel firm prosecuted after workers were crushed
| Injury: | Broken legs |
| Fine: | £13,000 |
| Company: | Tata Steel UK Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £11,631 |
| Source: | HSE, 22 December 2011 |
Basildon company fined after worker injures hand
| Injury: | Tips of two fingers severed |
| Fine: | £12,000 |
| Company: | CBT Packaging Ltd |
| Legislation: | Section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £4,971.45 |
| Source: | HSE, 21 December 2011 |
Sentencing after Telford fireball incident
| Injury: | Serious burns to hands, arms and faces to two workers |
| Fine: |
£10,000 (RVB) £2,000 (Mr Leigh) |
|
Company: Individual: |
RVB Investments UK Ltd Clifford Leigh |
| Legislation: |
Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (RVB) Section 7(a) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 (Mr Leigh) |
| Costs: |
£4,420 (RVB) £1,000 (Mr Leigh) |
| Source: | HSE, 8 December 2011 |
Catalogue of safety failings by Rotherham firm
| Injury: | None – non-compliance of improvement notice |
| Fine: | £8,000 |
| Company: | The London Wiper Company |
| Legislation: | Section 33(1)(g) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: | £5,000 |
| Source: | HSE, 21 December 2011 |
Blacksmith fined after worker falls from roof
| Injury: | Broken arm and wrist, bone graft as well as two operations to insert three plates and six pins |
| Fine: |
£4,500 |
|
Individual: |
Joseph Adams |
| Legislation: |
Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 |
| Costs: |
n/a |
| Source: | HSE, 12 December 2011 |
Company fined after worker falls from balcony
| Injury: | Serious injuries to foot |
| Fine: |
£4,000 (Mr Newell) £12,000 (Preseli) |
|
Individual: Company: |
Christopher Newell Preseli Construction & Maintenance Ltd |
| Legislation: |
Section 37(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 Regulation 4(1) of the Work at Height Regulations 2005 |
| Costs: |
£2,376.25 (Mr Newell) £2,376.25 (Preseli) |
| Source: | HSE, 5 December 2011 |