Shopping trolley manufacturer fined £320,000

A manufacturer of shopping trolleys has been fined £320,000 and ordered to pay costs of £4016 after two men fell approximately three metres when a metal cage they were dismantling collapsed beneath them. An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found that the work had not been properly planned, appropriately supervised, or carried out in a manner that was safe.  No consideration was given to whether dismantling the structure could be carried out without working at height or if the work was within the capabilities of the company’s employees.  None of the employees involved were trained in the assembly of scaffolding towers, and the injured man was not trained in working at height.