Beef supplier needs health and safety at work
Dovecote Park Ltd was prosecuted and fined for employee injuries that occurred in 2011. The employee, who did not want to be named, fell fracturing his heel bone and spine. The man was working at a Lincoln abattoir when the incident occurred. The employee was a maintenance engineer replacing light fittings at the beef supplier’s Lincoln address.
The man was on a stepladder when he fell three metres to the ground. He still suffers from his injury. The incident was made worse in terms of health and safety audits because the man and another worker were on a cherry picker, with a wooden platform. The ladder was sitting on the wooden platform on the cherry picker. The other worker was able to grab a hold of the rafters, saving the man from the same fall and injuries. Health and safety at work requires proper equipment and safety protocols to be in place for workers. The beef supplier failed to provide a cherry picker that could reach the height needed to change the light fittings. As a result of this lack of health and safety, the supplier has been charged 25,000 pounds and an additional 12,300 pounds in court costs.
The fines were set high due to the injury of the employee and lack of safety. Health and safety is the responsibility of the employer. The beef supplier had a duty of care to supply proper height and safety equipment for the job.
