Workers death leads to large fines for business

Posted on November 09^th 2009

£100,000 has been fined to a Northamptonshire factory after their failure to comply with health and safety regulations led to the death of a worker.

Butchers Pet Care Ltd is a family run business who deals with the manufacture of pet food. On the occasion of the accident, Mr. O'Connor from Rugby in Warwickshire, had been working alongside the palleting machine, however a blockage stopped it from running. Due to the pressure felt by the employers, Mr. O'Connor decided to climb through the factory railing and reposition the pallet which was causing the issue; however when it was moved the sensor monitor instantly raised the hoist and crushed him to death in seconds.

The Crick based company pleaded guilty to breaching section 2 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. Workers should not have been able to access the machines so easily, however this was never deemed as dangerous by team leaders and shift managers who allowed the workers to use the gap.

Costs of £28,390.91 were ordered to be paid by the company, as well as fines of £100,000.

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