Landscape gardener fined for health and safety at work troubles
Businesses never know when an investigator might stop by for safety and health audits. Health and safety audits can be conducted without a business being aware or they can be scheduled. The point of an unscheduled visit is to make certain the company is not hiding anything. In 2011, a landscape gardener working on a tree in Lincolnshire was spotted being unsafe while carrying out the work. The owner and one employee were working on the tree. One person was on a ladder with a chainsaw without proper safety in place. No protective gear was being worn. What is worse about the situation was the position of the ladder and worker. He was at the top of the ladder cutting the tree’s top off.
Someone in the neighbourhood spotted the unsafe work and made a complaint with the HSE. An investigator came out to see the exact situation. A picture was also taken. The owner of the business pled guilty to health and safety at work issues. The owner has been fined 4,000 pounds. He was also charged 2,000 pounds in court costs.
A situation such as this is one where any number of accidents could have happened, leading to the death of the person working the chainsaw or the person below holding the ladder. To avoid unsafe working conditions it is best to take a workstation risk assessment course, such as those offered at Winter and Company. The course is designed to teach business owners how to protect against work related incidents whether they are involved in the work or it is their employees. In this way a company can avoid fines. The HSE will not let any person or business go who is in serious breach of work at height safety regulations or any other safety law.
