Midlands firm fined over employee's work accident

A mineral company in the Midlands has recently appeared in court and been fined after one of its employees suffered a work accident.

Dupre Minerals Ltd, of Spencroft Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, appeared in Fenton Magistrates Court, where it was fined £8,000 and instructed to pay costs of £5,236.

The firm admitted to contravening Regulation 3(1) of the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, as well as Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.

These charges related to a work accident on July 17th last year, when Simon Lowe fell onto spikes on a hopper grill, leaving him with injuries to his spine, pelvis and thumb.

An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive discovered that the company had left its staff to come up with their own system of work and did not have sufficient measures employed to stop them climbing onto the hopper.

Only last year a Workington company, A.C.P (Concrete) Ltd, was fined £15,000 by Workington Magistrates Court when a steel cable damaged a worker's leg.

Published by Hannah Carr