Construction firm and director fined £20k for fatal workplace accident

A construction manufacturer and its director have been fined a combined amount of £20,000 for their liability in an accident at work which resulted in a man dying.

The fatal incident took place in August 2005 when Paul Palmer climbed into a slow-speed mixer to clean it and the device was switched on with him inside at premises in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, owned by Building Chemical Research (BCR) and its company director Stuart Reich.

An investigation conducted by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) into the accident resulted in both the company and Mr Reich pleading guilty to breaking Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 during a hearing at Bolton Crown Court.

The breaching of this clause - which states it is "the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare" of workers - resulted in BCR being fined £16,000 and Mr Reich the remaining £4,000.

Posted by Craig Williams
 

22/09/2010 15:26