Lack of workstation risk assessment results in large fine
Most of the publicized fines resulting from worker deaths and major incidents at work are on the smaller side, but there are certain cases that warrant something of a larger fine. A farming company has been fined almost £200k for a worker’s death. The fine has occurred under the manslaughter law for corporations. A worker died at JMW Farms in 2010 due to a forklift incident. The director could have stopped this death from happening by providing a workstation risk assessment and proper health and safety training to employees.
The case was clear for those who work in the courts and listened to the information. The legislation for corporate manslaughter is rather new. The case involving the worker death at the farm is the first to be heard under the new laws. The legislation states that companies and organisations can be found guilty if there is management failure that leads to issues of duty of care. The director is certainly at fault, but the company is absorbing the fine due to a lack of safety and health.
The case occurred in Northern Ireland in 2010. The laws are quite clear that the corporation will have to pay for the liabilities due to the failure of management to provide a safe and healthy environment to all workers. The incident involved a forklift that crushed the worker thus leading to the fatality for which the farm was brought up on charges.
