Three prosecutions of note

A Peterborough fireworks company has been fined £500,000 after a worker was killed in an explosion.  An Investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) determined that the system of work for working with explosive materials was not safe.  The tools he was provided with were unsuitable for handling the explosive materials and the facility in which he was working was not of an appropriate standard. The company also failed to provide him with adequate training and he was not appropriately supervised.

An East Yorkshire garden landscaping supply company has been fined £600,000 after an employee died while loading a lorry.  An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company’s risk assessment failed to take into account the possibility of lorries moving while they are being loaded. HSE also found that the systems of work provided for ensuring that vehicles were not moved during loading activities were inadequate.

An automotive group has been fined £650,000 after a worker fell to his death carrying out an inspection of a hospitality unit used by its racing team.  An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) found the company had failed to properly assess the risks and to put measures in place to prevent workers falling from height. Falls from height remain the biggest cause of fatal accidents involving workers. In the five-year period between 2017 and 2022 a quarter of those killed in accidents at work fell to their death.