Company and Director Fined after Worker’s Fatal Accident
In the second decision of its kind in the last six years, a Scottish company was fined to the tune of £5,000 along with one of its directors, Mr Richard Lionel John Pratt, who was also the site manager for the company, and fined £4,000, for breaching the provisions of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974. The breach caused the death of an employee after he fell from a height.
The employee, Andrezej Freitag, fell from a height of three metres, while working on a shaft which was not made completely secure and safe as per the provisions of the Act. He later succumbed to his injuries.
The barrier used at the site for protection of the employees was one used for road construction and totally unsuitable for this purpose. The
Following the verdict, Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Inspector, Murray Provan, cautioned the companies involved in construction work to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Act, especially for workers working at a height. He expressed his concern over the accident of Mr. Freitag, saying that it was completely foreseeable and could have been prevented had the site manager taken proper steps for the same. He also said that Mr. Pratt was solely responsible for ensuring the safety of workers and the company had to bear the damages entirely due to his negligent conduct. Risk assessment training is essential to ensure your organisation meets its basic commitments to providing a safe work environment for your staff - click for info on risk assessment courses operated by Workplace Law Training.
