Health And Safety Failings – Worker Killed By Falling Boxes

Worker Killed By Falling Boxes

The Case

A Plymouth firm has been prosecuted after a worker was fatally injured when a stack of boxes of frozen fish fell on him. The 22-year-old employee was helping to clear a fallen stack of boxes in a cold store area of the factory when another stack of boxes fell and struck him. He received multiple serious injuries which proved fatal.

The subsequent HSE investigation found that there was no safe system of work in place, and staff were not given adequate instruction on how pallets could be safely stored. There was no written procedure for dealing with falls of stock.

The case was heard at Plymouth Crown Court where the firm pleaded guilty to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974.  They were fined £500,000 and ordered to pay costs of £24,800.

What the HSE had to say

Speaking after the hearing, HSE inspector Emma O’Hara said:

‘Safe stacking of stock is a cross-industry necessity and can often be overlooked when considering safe systems of work. Duty holders need to ensure that they are stacking safely and that they have a plan for dealing with any unforeseen circumstances such as a fall of stock.’

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