Health and safety breaches by London Company
A company in Uxbridge is fined for health and safety risks. The company manufactures goods, but they have been cited for putting employees at risk after health and safety audits. Several notices were given to the company over a period of a year during the audits, each time it was because the HSE found the company failing to provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees.
The company did not offer proper storage for flammable liquids. They did not have lifting equipment inspected routinely. They also did not provide the correct training for usage of the lifting equipment. Other issues included unrepaired electrical systems, improper protective equipment, and failure to guard employees against machinery parts.
The inspector conducting the reviews of the site stated at the hearing that workers were not protected and it is the duty of employers to ensure they are. It is a serious breach of the health and safety act to fail to protect employees. The company will need to pay £18,000 as a fine and £6,210 for other costs.
For some the fine seems low considering the number of issues the manufacturer had; however, the courts feel it is a reasonable amount for a first court appearance by the company. Nothing has been said as to whether the conditions have yet to be fixed, though there is reasonable confidence that the issues are solved given the court appearance and the fine the company has just been issued in light of the serious breaches.
