Recent Prosecutions

It is paramount to ensure your Health and Safety procedures in place are robust enough to protect you, your business and your workforce from accidents occurring, particularly in the current harsh economic climate. CQMS Ltd urges all employers to review their arrangements and procedures, supervision and competency of employees to ensure they are doing all they reasonably can to prevent workplace injuries and dangerous occurrences.

The cases outlined below have been taken from the press and are provided as a stark reminder of what can happen when those arrangements are inadequate.

£36k fine for Lincolnshire farmer and machinery manufacturer after worker severed tendons on farm machinery.

A Lincolnshire farmer and an agricultural machinery supplier have been fined after a young casual worker had three tendons in his right hand severed by a potato crusher.

£20k fine for Walkers Snack Foods after worker was injured by falling waste

Walkers Snack Foods Ltd has been fined after a 400 kilogramme block of compacted snack waste fell on a worker, breaking his leg.

£2k fine for Sleaford property restoration company after exposed asbestos risk to workers and public

A property restoration and development company has been fined after workers and the public were exposed to asbestos in a Lincolnshire town.

£7.5k fine for Derbyshire milking company after employee was injured by falling beam

A Shropshire milking company has been fined after a worker suffered a fractured skull when he was hit by a steel beam at a Derbyshire farm just a day after he started his job.

£18k fine for Nottingham company after worker was injured in fall from height

The employee, who has asked not to be named, needed to wear a body and neck brace for three months after falling head first 2.4 meters through a fragile outhouse roof in July 2010.

£8.5k fine for two Lincolnshire companies after workers were exposed to asbestos

Contractors Simons Construction Ltd hired Rilmac Insulation Ltd to carry out an asbestos survey for them before work began at St Mary's Hospital, Kettering, however the survey was found to be inadequate and lead to operatives being exposed to asbestos during the works.

£45k fine for two Lincolnshire firms after work was killed at a food processing plant

Two companies have been fined after a man was killed when he drove a specialist machine into an unprotected pit in a factory floor.

£11k fine for contractor and sub-contractor after worker fell eight meters from a roof

A construction firm and a roofing company have been fined for their part in a fall at a Lincoln retail park.

£12k fine for Nottinghamshire die-casting firm after work fell into a magnesium furnace

A Nottinghamshire die-casting firm has been fined after an employee suffered severe burns when he fell into a furnace.

£20k fine for Derbyshire recycling firm after worker suffers crush injuries

A Derbyshire recycling firm has been fined after an employee was crushed in a machine at their depot at Griffon Road, Ilkeston.

£4k fine for Lincolnshire gardener spotted by neighbour carrying unsafe

A Lincolnshire landscape gardener has been fined after being spotted carrying out unsafe tree work.

£5k fine for Lincolnshire builder who ignored defects identified by HSE Inspector

A Lincolnshire builder has been fined after a spot check by the Health and Safety Executive revealed his construction site was unsafe.

£12k fine for Warwickshire engineering firm after two worked were injured in a fall from height

A vehicle engineering, design and testing firm has been fined after two employees were injured when they fell from a platform.

£25k fine for Nottinghamshire council after pensioner was killed by bin lorry

Mr. Derrick Baines was returning home from the shops on his mobility scooter when he was struck by the reversing lorry from Bassetlaw District Council in July 2008.

£10k fine for Derbyshire window manufacturer after worker's arm was dragged into machinery

A Derbyshire window manufacturer has been fined after an employee's arm was dragged into a poorly guarded machine.

£25.5k fine for Derbyshire manufacturing firm after workers fell from height

A Derbyshire manufacturing firm and its director have been fined after two teenage agency workers fell from a lifting platform.

Leicestershire construction company fined after worker fell from height

A Leicester construction company has been fined for safety failings after a 19-year-old worker was hurt falling from a roof.

£10k fine for Nottinghamshire engineering company after trench collapsed on worker

A former England kick boxer has had to give up the sport after being injured at work, a court was told.

Combined £130k fine for two Leicestershire companies after death of worker

Two Leicestershire companies have been fined £80k and £50k after a worker was killed when a lorry overturned onto his vehicle.

£10,000 fine for company when dumper truck breaks worker’s foot

A Northamptonshire construction company has been fined after a six-tonne dumper truck ran over a worker's foot, resulting in four broken bones.

£8k fine for Wellingborough adhesive firm after worker loses part of thumb

An adhesive tape manufacturer has been prosecuted after a 19-year-old agency worker severed his thumb in machinery at a factory in Wellingborough.

Fine for Newark on Trent unregistered gas installer

An unregistered gas installer was caught illegally carrying out work on a house in Newark on Trent.

£8k fine for Chesterfield packaging company after worker was hit by lorry

The Corrugated Case Company Ltd has been fined after an employee was seriously injured by a heavy goods vehicle at its site in Chesterfield.

£10k fine for Worksop man after death of worker during tree felling operation

A Worksop man has been fined after an employee was crushed to death when a tractor overturned and landed on him.

£3k fine for Director after scaffold collapse injures two employees

A former scaffolding company director has been fined after two employees were injured in a scaffold collapse as it was in the process of being dismantled.

Workers' injuries lead to £20k fines for Derbyshire company and contractor

Two companies have been fined following separate incidents at a Derbyshire lead smelting works.

£8k fine for fuel injection specialists

A firm specialising in diesel fuel injection has been fined after a worker was set on fire at its Derbyshire premises.

£7.5k fine after worker's fall

A partner in a Leicester food company has been fined after an employee fell around two metres while unloading a shipping container attached to the back of an HGV. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) prosecuted Mr Chandarana for the 4 January 2011 incident.

£4.5k fine as factory fall leads to prosecution for Lincolnshire company

A Lincolnshire food manufacturer has been fined after a worker fell from a breadcrumb-making machine. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) told Lincoln magistrates that a platform should have been fitted to the machine so workers did not have to lean over the edge.

£50k fine for international paper firm

An international supplier of paper and packaging has been fined after an employee suffered breaks to his arm and ribs in machinery at a Lincolnshire factory. A Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation found there was no safe system of work in place and the incident could have been easily prevented.

£180k fine for Nestle after safety failures lead to worker’s death

Father of three Nazar Hussain died at food giant Nestle's Albion Mill plant in Bailey Hall Road in December 2008 after a colleague re-started a conveyor-type machine, known as a depalletiser, unaware that Mr Hussain was inside.