Two firms sentenced over employee's 'horrific' accident injuries
Personal Injury 01 Aug 2011
A
work accident has led to a German machine supplier and an engineering firm in South Yorkshire both being prosecuted.
Sheffield Crown Court heard Compass Engineering admit to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.
The firm was fined £45,000 and instructed to pay costs of £24,000.
In addition, Kaltenbach Ltd, which owns a UK office in Bedford, admitted to breaching Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 in relation to this incident.
As a result the company was instructed to pay £16,000 in costs and fined £30,000.
The work accident happended on December 19th 2008 worker Matthew Lowe was dragged through a small gap on a computer controlled conveyor system when working at Whaley Road, Barugh Green, Barnsley.
An investigation by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) discovered that at the time of the incident there was no guard to protect Mr Lowe from moving parts.
This incident was not the only one to happen in Yorkshire and the Humber in 2009/10.
The HSE prosecuted 113 offences in the region in this time period.
Published by Hannah Carr
