A Company has Been Fined £1m After the Death of an Electrician from a Step-ladder Fall

 

A self-employed electrical contractor was carrying out some work for a bakery when they fell off a step-ladder that was provided. The worker subsequently died from the injuries.

Hull Crown Court heard how the worker was contracted to complete electrical work for Greencore Grocery Ltd in Hull. In October 2013, the worker was wiring a motor situated above a machine whilst standing on a stepladder. The company agreed this work activity could be completed using a stepladder, which it had provided.

An investigation by the Health & Safety executive (HSE) found that Greencore failed to properly plan the work.

Greencore Grocery Ltd of Apex Park, Amsterdam Road, Sutton Fields Industrial Estate Hull, pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It was fined £1,000,000 and ordered to pay costs of £30,000.

HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham said after the hearing: “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.

“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.”