Bakery fined £1m after death of contractor

Posted on Friday 1 January 2010

A Hull based bakery has been fined following the death of self-employed electrical contractor who died following a fall from height.

Hull Crown Court heard how the worker was contracted to complete electrical work at Greencore Grocery site 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.

The employee fell from the step ladder and suffered fatal injuries.

An investigation by the Health and Safety executive (HSE) found that Greencore failed to properly plan this workplace activity from the beginning including access arrangements to be made for installation of motors to use to carry out this work activity.

Greencore Grocery pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. The company has been fined £1million and ordered to pay costs of £30,000.

Speaking after the hearing HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham said: “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.